Edition Axel Menges GmbH Esslinger Straße 24 D-70736 Stuttgart-Fellbach tel. +49-711-574759 fax +49-711-574784 Opus 62 Egon Eiermann / Sep Ruf, German Pavilions, Brussels 1958 With an introduction by Immo Boyken and photographs by Heinrich Heidersberger and Eberhard Troeger. 56 pp. with 62 ill., of which 32 in duotone, 280 x 300 mm, hard-cover, Ger- man / English ISBN 978-3-932565-62-5 Euro 36.00, sfr 56.00, £ 24.90, US $ 39.90, $A 68.00 The German Pavilions were the actual event at the 1958 Brussels World Fair, because what appeared as an oasis of modesty among the typical exhibition fairground of bizarre sensationalism was pre- cisely what would not have been expected of economic miracle Germany: no showing off or pomposity, just architecture distin- guished by its reticence and the refined simplicity of the architec- tural resources, and by the happy combination of men who creat- ed it, all so similar in the nature of their thinking: Egon Eiermann and Sep Ruf as architects, Walter Rossow as landscape and gar- den planner, and Hans Schwippert responsible for the exhibition programme. The building plot was a park-like site on which the architects placed a sequence of eight pavilions of different sizes; eight pavil- ions on a square ground plan, linked by bridge-style walkways, together surrounding an inner courtyard – a peaceful garden amidst the loud hurly-burly: introverted and open at the same time, it did allow visitors to look through the linking bridges into the out- Distributtors side world around them. Brockhaus Commission The pavilions themselves: bright and light of weight – correctly Kreidlerstraße 9 reflecting the concept of a »pavilion«: raised off the ground by a D-70806 Kornwestheim plinth of clay-yellow brick, giving an impression of floating; floors Germany that showed outside as black bands, holding all the component tel. +49-7154-1327-33 parts together as a binding element; in front of them was a net- fax +49-7154-1327-13 work of white-painted steel tubes, forming a kind of filigree epider- [email protected] mis; wooden floors in red pine matchboarding, reminiscent of clas- sical sailing yachts; blinds set at the outer edge of the ceilings that Gazelle Book Services when lowered transformed the open impression, thrusting deep White Cross Mills into the depth of the space, into a closed, cubic impression; archi- Hightown tecture (and combined with this an exhibition concept) that was Lancaster LA1 4XS not a »political demonstration«, but showed a »humane mentality«, United Kingdom about which Le Figaro appositely remarked: »The Germans have tel. +44-1524-68765 created an exhibition of exemplary lucidity, treated delicately and fax +44-1524-63232 with an entirely Parisian grace.« [email protected] Immo Boyken is professor of building history and architectural theory in Konstanz. He is particularly interested in late 19th-cen- National Book Network tury and Modern architecture. He was considerably involved in 15200 NBN Way the monograph on Erich Eiermann, and has written books on Otto Blue Ridge Summit, PA Ernst Schweizer, and Heinz Tesar’s church in the Donau City in 17214 Vienna. USA tel. +1-800-4626420 Spring 2007 fax +1-800-3384550 [email protected] Egon Eiermann / Sep Ruf Deutsche Pavillons, Brüssel 1958 The German Pavilions were the actual event at the Opus 47 Bolles+Wilson, Nieuwe Luxor Theater, Rotter- Das eigentliche Ereignis auf der Weltausstellung in 1958 Brussels World Fair, because what appeared as Architektur in Einzeldarstellungen dam Egon Eiermann / Sep Ruf Brüssel 1958 waren die Pavillons der Bundesrepublik an oasis of modesty among the typical exhibition fair- Architecture in individual presentations 48 Steidle + Partner, KPMG-Gebäude, München Deutschland, weil man vom Deutschland des Wirt- ground of bizarre sensationalism was precisely what 49 Steidle + Partner, Wohnquartier Freischützstraße, schaftwunders gerade das, was sich wie eine Oase would not have been expected of economic miracle Herausgeber/Editor: Axel Menges München Deutsche Pavillons, Brüssel 1958 der Bescheidenheit inmitten des ausstellungstypi- Germany: no showing off or pomposity, just architec- 50 Neufert/Karle+Buxbaum, Ernst-Neufert-Bau, schen Jahrmarkts effektheischender Bizzarerien dar- ture distinguished by its reticence and the refined sim- Darmstadt bot, nicht erwartet hatte: statt Protz und Wichtigtue- plicity of the architectural resources, and by the hap- 1 Rudolf Steiner, Goetheanum, Dornach 51 Bolles+Wilson, NORD/LB, Magdeburg rei eine Architektur, die sich durch Zurückhaltung und py combination of men who created it, all so similar 2 Jørn Utzon, Houses in Fredensborg 52 Brunnert und Partner, Flughafen Leipzig/Halle durch raffinierte Einfachheit der architektonischen Mit- in the nature of their thinking: Egon Eiermann and Sep 3 Jørgen Bo and Vilhelm Wohlert, Louisiana 53 Johannes Peter Hölzinger, Haus in Bad Nauheim tel auszeichnete und für die die glückliche Kombina- Ruf as architects, Walter Rossow as landscape and Museum, Humlebæk 54 Egon Eiermann, German Embassy, Washington tion in ihrem Denken wesensverwandter schöpferi- garden planner, and Hans Schwippert responsible for 4 Aurelio Galfetti, Castelgrande, Bellinzona 55 Peter Kulka, Bosch-Haus Heidehof, Stuttgart scher Gestalter stand: Egon Eiermann und Sep Ruf the exhibition programme. 5 Fatehpur Sikri 56 Am Bavariapark, München als Architekten, Walter Rossow als Landschafts- und The building plot was a park-like site on which the 6 Balthasar Neumann, Abteikirche Neresheim 57 Gerber Architekten, Messe Karlsruhe Gartenplaner sowie Hans Schwippert als Verantwort- architects placed a sequence of eight pavilions of dif- 7 Henry Hobson Richardson, Glessner House, 58 Espace de l’Art Concret, Mouans-Sartoux licher für das Ausstellungsprogramm. ferent sizes; eight pavilions on a square ground plan, Chicago 59 Otto Ernst Schweizer, Milchhof, Nürnberg Das Grundstück ein parkartiges Gelände, in das linked by bridge-style walkways, together surround- 8 Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Palau de la 60 Steidle + Partner, Alfred-Wegener-Institut, die Architekten eine Folge von acht Pavillons unter- ing an inner courtyard – a peaceful garden amidst the Música Catalana, Barcelona Bremerhaven schiedlicher Größe setzten; acht Pavillons über qua- loud hurly-burly: introverted and open at the same 9 Richard Meier, Stadthaus Ulm 61 Sonwik, Flensburg dratischem Grundriß, durch brückenartige Stege mit- time, it did allow visitors to look through the linking 10 Santiago Calatrava, Bahnhof Stadelhofen, 62 Egon Eiermann/Sep Ruf, Deutsche Pavillons, einander verbunden, die zusammen einen Innenhof bridges into the outside world around them. Zürich Brüssel 1958 umschlossen – ein Garten der Ruhe inmitten des The pavilions themselves: bright and light of 12 Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Charlottenhof, lauten Trubels: introvertiert und offen zugleich, ließ er weight – correctly reflecting the concept of a »pavil- Potsdam-Sanssouci doch den Blick durch die Verbindungsbrücken hin- ion«: raised off the ground by a plinth of clay-yellow 13 Pfaueninsel, Berlin durch in das umgebende Draußen zu. brick, giving an impression of floating; floors that 14 Sir John Soane’s Museum, London Die Pavillons selbst: licht und leicht – dem Begriff showed outside as black bands, holding all the com- 15 Enric Miralles, C.N.A.R., Alicante »Pavillon« wirklich entsprechend: vom Erdboden durch ponent parts together as a binding element; in front 16 Fundación César Manrique, Lanzarote einen Sockel aus lehmgelben Ziegelsteinen abgeho- of them was a network of white-painted steel tubes, 17 Dharna Vihara, Ranakpur ben, so daß sich der Eindruck des Schwebenden er- forming a kind of filigree epidermis; wooden floors in 18 Benjamin Baker, Forth Bridge gab; Geschoßdecken, die sich als schwarze Bänder red pine matchboarding, reminiscent of classical sail- 19 Ernst Gisel, Rathaus Fellbach nach außen abzeichneten und die als verbindendes ing yachts; blinds set at the outer edge of the ceilings 20 Alfredo Arribas, Marugame Hirai Museum Element alle Bauteile umgriffen; davor ein weitmaschi- that when lowered transformed the open impression, 21 Sir Norman Foster and Partners, Commerz- ges Netz aus weißlackierten Stahlrohren, das eine thrusting deep into the depth of the space, into a bank, Frankfurt am Main Art filigraner Epidermis bildete; Holzböden aus Red- closed, cubic impression; architecture (and combined 22 Carlo Scarpa, Museo Canoviano, Possagno pine-Langriemen, die an klassische Segeljachten erin- with this an exhibition concept) that was not a »politi- 23 Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, nerten; am äußeren Rand der Decken eingelassene cal demonstration«, but showed a »humane mental- Oak Park Jalousien, die, heruntergefahren, den offenen, in die ity«, about which Le Figaro appositely remarked: »The 24 Kisho Kurokawa, Kuala Lumpur International Raumtiefe greifenden Eindruck in einen geschlosse- Germans have created an exhibition of exemplary lu- Airport nen, kubischen verwandelten; eine Architektur (und cidity, treated delicately and with an entirely Parisian 25 Steidle + Partner, Universität Ulm West damit verbunden ein Ausstellungskonzept) nicht als grace.« 26 Himeji Castle »politische Demonstration«, sondern als »humane Immo Boyken is professor of architectural history 27 Kazuo Shinohara, Centennial Hall, Tokyo Gesinnung«, von der es in Le Figaro treffend hieß: and theory in Konstanz. His special interest is late- 28 Alte Völklinger Hütte »Die Deutschen haben mit einer Delikatesse der Be- 19th- and 20th-century