Speer vs. Scharoun

By Fielding Lowrance

Berlin has had a rather volatile political history. Both World Wars and the Cold War have had a pronounced effect on the city. Because of these events Berlin has become a great example of how the social and political climate of an area can influence the designs of the architects working in that region at any given time. Two architects who illustrate this idea particularly well are Albert Speer, who designed buildings for the Nazi Regime, and Hans Scharoun, whose buildings were created under the democratic German government established after the second World War.

Albert Speer - Zeppelin Field

Albert Speer’s close affiliation with the Nazi party resulted in the creation of works that reflection the greatness of the state.  Speer’s buildings were grand neoclassical structures that often included features such as arches and domes. The strictly regimented forms of neoclassical architecture mirrored the rigid and authoritarian nature of the Nazi Party. Additionally, neoclassicism relies of forms, proportions, and materials that had been previously established by classical architects (i.e. the architects of Ancient Greece and Rome). This reference of the Classical served a dual purpose. First, using building elements that the public would have already been familiar with created a sense of non-transience and a climate in which deviance from what the government defined as acceptable was unacceptable. Second the reference to the civilizations of Greece and Rome created a connection between the Nazi Regime and great Civilization of the past. This both helped to further the idea of the permanence of the current government institution and mirrored the way in which the aforementioned civilizations (particularly the Roman Empire) used buildings and monuments to attest to their strength, wealth, and greatness.

Some notable designs of Speer include Zeppelin Field, the Neue Reich Chancellery, and a design for the reinvention of the city of Berlin (which was never completed). It is worth noting that both Zeppelin Field and the Chancellery were buildings for government use. The plan for the city of Berlin focused on the creation of structures, in particular broad avenues, which were works that attested to government power as previously mentioned.

Hans Scharoon - Berlin Philharmonie 

 Scharoun’s structures are an almost perfect foil for Speer’s. In contrast to the Speer’s buildings Scharoun’s designs were meant to create spaces for the people. Though this does not directly reference the government under which his structures were created it does reflect the values of a democratic society, that is, the good of the public. Scharoun was a modernist. Modern architecture was at the time of his buildings a style that encouraged experimentation and a reconciliation of architecture and the progress of technology. These ideas directly opposed Speer’s reflection on past styles.  Other important values that Scharoun placed on his designs were the need for green space, and maximum light and air for individual dwellings. His buildings were also light, as opposed to massive, and were not highly ordered in the same way that neoclassical structures are.

Like Speer, Hans Scharoun also developed a master plan for the city of Berlin. However, Sharoun’s plan focused on green spaces, gardens, and natural elements of the city such as the river. The focus on such elements was designed to make the city a more pleasant place to live. He also contributed designs such as the Philharmonie and the Berlin State Library to the collection of buildings that is known as the Kulturforum. The Kulthurforum is a collection of cultural buildings constructed in West Berlin.