I seem to have a talent for travels by S-Bahn to the Olympic Stadium when an event is scheduled such as a football match, an athletics tournament, or a nice concert. Like that one day when I was packed with a thousend others all dressed in white and blue and singing loudly. Apparently, Hertha was playing that day. When we got to the station, the football fans went right and I turned left, to visit the Corbusier house, which is located next to the station at the other side.
Interbau 1957
Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, 1887-1965) was a Swiss-French architect. He was one of the pioneers of modern architecture in the 20th century and most of his buildings can be found throughout Europe and India. After succesfully realising his Unité d’Habitation (Housing Unit) designs in Marseille and Nantes, Le Corbusier designed his third Unité d’Habitation for the Hansa quarter in Berlin, as part of the international Interbau exhibition of 1957, for which many national and international renowned architects were invited to design new buildings for the Hansa quarter, which was heavily demolished during the 2nd world war. As Le Corbusier’s building was planned to be 141m long, 23m wide and 53m high, it would become too big for the Hansa quarter, so a new location on the hill next to Olympic Stadium was chosen. L’Unité d’Habitation Type Berlin was built between 1956 and 1958 in just 18 months.
L’Unité d’Habitation
Consisting of 17 levels with more than 500 apartments, the building is designed to be a small city in itself with several facilities under one roof such as shops, a post office and a hairdresser. An open-air theatre and a school at the roof top were planned as well but were not allowed by the Berlin local authorities. Also the original dimensions of the apartments, such as the typical ‘human’ height of 2,26m did not meet the German standards of a minimum of 2,50m, which made Le Corbusier decide to officially resign from the project.
The apartments are situated along long hallways in the middle of the building. Next to every door a small panel is found which covers a bread box. The idea was that residents could get their daily fresh bread delivered in this box, but this has never been realised.
Today the Corbusier House has a monumental status. Outside the original facade is kept, inside there is not much left of the 50s design. Most of the first residents have left and many apartments were bought by artists and architects who made several changes. There are still a few original apartments left, which can be visited during special tours. Of all the shops on the ground floor only one kiosk has survived.
You can visit the Corbusier House and take a look yourself whilst enjoying another great view over the western part of Berlin. Or even better, visit it when Hertha is playing, to experience 50.000 people singing passionately next door.
More information
www.corbusierhaus-berlin.de
Flatowallee 16 14055 Berlin
S5 S75 Olympia Stadion
