Modern town architecture: architectural novelty to admire [or kitsch?]

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A few days ago, while returning from a trip to Potsdam and Berlin, we stopped at Magdeburg, in the former GDR. (Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdeburg)

This city has been taken a lot of efoort, especially after Germany's re-unification, to beef up its foremer image as "frey city":

Not bad, isn't it?

But do you notice that building between the late-baroque house and the neo-renaissance post office in the back?

Shortly before his death, Hundertwasser had prepared plans to give a facelift to the Green Citadel, an old apartment building in Magdeburg, in the former communist East Germany.
The new building, containing apartments and offices, has no straight lines, is pink, and has golden domes, and is was his last project before he died in 2000. (The building was completed in 2005.)

The architect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundertwasser

The building's website: http://www.gruene-zitadelle.de/englisch/

Not everyone likes it - but is is impressive.
And since I like it, I took some photos ... Wink

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@Walter Hinteler,

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

We only had some lunch (and drinks) in one of the cafes inside the building - but it really is attractive, I think.

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@Walter Hinteler,

I like it. Thanks for posting.

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@ehBeth,

Me too.

What miserable bastard gave it a thumbs-down?

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@Walter Hinteler,

I have been to Magdeburg too. It has turned into a very nice city and I really liked Hundertwasser´s house.

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@saab,

As far as I know the small town Uelzen´s central station was remodeled by Hundertwasser. Very well done.

http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://img.fotocommunity.com/photos/3330651.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/display/3330651&h=569&w=852&sz=178&hl=de&start=14&tbnid=xq9o_-takoPWiM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=145&prev=/images%3Fq%3Duelzen%2Bbahnhof%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Dde%26sa%3DX

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2615745603_842df89746.jpg?v=0

The men´s room

http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2205240603_8588f518a5.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/67855182%40N00/2205240603&h=500&w=375&sz=130&hl=de&start=42&tbnid=xU9a0FBzKwrl9M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Duelzen%2Bbahnhof%26start%3D40%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dde%26sa%3DN

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@Walter Hinteler,

It's fun to look at, but I don't think it's architectural novelty. It seems more self-indulgent than anything else. It's the loud broad who wears the really huge hat and the brassy dress to the quiet backyard gathering. Everyone says 'hello' and then hopes someone will start a conversation about anything besides her latest news.
I am also getting a bit of fantasy video game/movie set.

Joe(Is that Barbarella on the roof?)Nation

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@saab,

OH yeah! I want to go in here after two Martinis and try to shoot straight.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2389/2205240603_8588f518a5.jpg?v=0

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@saab,

Uelzen's station is by Hundertwasser, too - like a couple of other architectural sites (my SIL's frequently go to a termal spa in Austria which he planned/designed).

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@Joe Nation,

It's not an architectural novelty, you are correct Joe: Hundertwasser designed "his" houses all similar.
But - besides that spa mentioned above - it's the largest assembly buildings he planned:

(Source: Microsoft Virtual Earth)

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@Walter Hinteler,

Oops - wanted to edit my above, but it seems that the edit function is gone.

I mean, there are obviously some correspondances between the Hundertwasser architecture with what Gaudi was doing in Barcelona a hundred years back.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Hah, I just added some tags. Tagging is a matter I'm still learning. Well, I added my tags and suddenly see a little W sneak into the line up. Used the right arrow further, and see it is really Waste Management, a tag I had on another architecture thread, about a recycling center.

So, if you see that, that wasn't an editorial comment.

I can't say anything too enthusiastic about this structure, nodding along with JoeNation, but I don't mind it existing where it is either.

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@Joe Nation,

Somebody needs to wear the really huge hat to the quiet backyard gathering - even if it's only for everyone to react against. Though I think I look divine in my really huge hats. I don't mind looking like a thumbtack.

Too many ranch houses, bungalows, box apartment buildings and it's all much of a yawn.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

I'm not against playful big hat architecture, I am just not particularly enthused about this effort. I do see how it riffs off of aspects of the neighborhood, and so on. We've had threads on the ROM addition and on a Tate addition, where I didn't mind much of the new additions, but wanted to do some tweaking re the exact lines or placement of the connection.

On this structure, which I appreciate seeing the aerial view of, by the way, there is a certain grossness in the choices that isn't to my taste. So it goes.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

It's not an architectural novelty, you are correct Joe: Hundertwasser designed "his" houses all similar.
But - besides that spa mentioned above - it's the largest assembly buildings he planned:

(Source: Microsoft Virtual Earth)

Clean that up and plant some fresh grass then add some interesting public art and you have yourself a public garden on the building's roof. Or a miniature golf course.

I would love to live in an apartment building like this one. Great sense of architectural whimsy.

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

Clean that up and plant some fresh grass then add some interesting public art and you have yourself a public garden on the building's roof. Or a miniature golf course.

I would love to live in an apartment building like this one. Great sense of architectural whimsy.

Acrually, their are semi-public but private gardens on the roof.

And not great chances to live there - a long waiting list ... (But you could get a room in a hotel inside Wink

)

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Modern town architecture: architectural novelty to admire [or kitsch?]

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