Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf - extension of the WHS "Berlin Modernism Housing Estates"

Description

The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf is proposed for inscription as an extension and seventh component to the existing World Heritage Site "Berlin Modernism Housing Estates" (ID No. 1230-001-006, inscribed 2008). It represents a significant link to the six World Heritage Sites inscribed thus far, as it shares their characteristics and strengthens the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as already defined.  

The Waldsiedlung was built between 1926 and 1932 by the Gemeinnützige Heimstätten-, Spar- und Bau-Aktiengesellschaft (GEHAG) and covers an area of 34.46 ha. Built in seven construction phases, the estate was designed by Bruno Taut, Hugo Häring and Otto Rudolf Salvisberg on the basis of an urban design plan by Bruno Taut. Taut also designed the majority of the total of 1915 residential units, which were constructed as multi-storey apartment buildings and single-family terraced houses (construction sections I, III-VII). The terraced houses in the south-western area (construction phase II) were designed by Otto Rudolf Salvisberg, while Hugo Häring was responsible for the central southern area (construction phases I, II). Leberecht Migge and Martha Willings-Göhre were involved in the development and design of the estate as landscape architects. The architects involved in the planning and implementation of the Waldsiedlung were among the most prominent protagonists of the modern housing reform movement, which had a decisive influence on housing construction in Berlin and beyond.

The settlement was connected to the city center already during construction by an underground railway (U-Bahn) line, which was laid out as an open cut. The Argentinische Allee, which runs parallel to the curved course of the U-Bahn line, still serves as the main access road. On both sides of the Argentinische Allee, Taut built rows of multi-storey apartments and – as a highlight – a 450-metre-long housing block between the railway line and the Argentinische Allee. This block’s distinctive curving line soon earned it the nickname "the whip crack". The internal access roads of the settlement also have a slight curve. The majority of the residential rows were oriented north-south in order to optimize their exposure to sunlight. Large garden courtyards were also created, especially in construction phase I. The underground station "Onkel-Toms-Hütte" (Uncle Tom’s Cabin), completed in 1929 according to plans by Alfred Grenander, was supplemented in 1931-1932 by shop arcades added to the sides of each building and by a cinema (today a supermarket) designed by Salvisberg and Rudolph W. Reichels.

The overall urban design is characterised by apartment buildings and terraced single-family homes with flat roofs throughout; the latter are given rhythm and relief by the alternation of projections and recesses, by the staggering and interruption of the rows, as well as by the inclusion of striking corner formations with low-rise, flat-roofed buildings at the angles. The coherence of the urban design is enriched by varied and alternating detailing. Design elements such as front doors grouped in pairs under a common canopy – as in the single-family houses by Häring and Taut – as well as the alternation of rendered surfaces and brick stripes – as in the row houses by Salvisberg – further enliven the appearance of the settlement.

The existing natural space and the existing stands of pines, birches, oaks and other native tree species were integrated into the settlement in an exemplary manner. The partly forest-like green areas of the settlement gave it its name. The wide, tree-lined streets and the unfenced front gardens of the multi-storey apartment buildings make a significant contribution to the impression of generous space that characterises the street.

Of particular importance to the design of the settlement is the use of colour. The juxtaposition of intense hues and the often unusual distribution of colour on the façades are part of the settlement’s image. The cheerful colourfulness of the buildings and their detailing earned the settlement the name "paint pot" already during the construction period.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

Six of Berlin’s Modernist housing estates were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. They provide " ... outstanding testimony to the implementation of housing policies during the period 1910 – 1933 and especially during the Weimar Republic, when the city of Berlin was characterized by its political, social, cultural and technical progressiveness. The housing estates reflect, with the highest degree of quality, the combination of urbanism, architecture, garden design and aesthetic research typical of early 20th century modernism, as well as the application of new hygienic and social standards. Some of the most prominent leading architects of German modernism were involved in the design and construction of the properties; they developed innovative urban, building and flat typologies, technical solutions and aesthetic achievements." (OUV statement, 2008 summary). The existing OUV of the six World Heritage settlements forms the basis for the definition of the Waldsiedlung‘s value. The inscription criteria are thereby adopted and the Key Values sharpened.

With their exceptional visual and structural features, the settlements provide

- an outstanding expression of a broad housing reform movement that made a decisive contribution to improving housing and living conditions in Berlin. The high quality of their urban, architectural and garden design, as well as the housing standards developed during this period, has served as a model and example for social-welfare housing constructed in the decades since, both within Germany and abroad.

- noteworthy examples of new urban and architectural typologies designed in the quest to improve living conditions in social-welfare housing. Fresh design solutions and technical and aesthetic innovations were applied by the prominent Modernist architects who participated in estate’s design and construction.

Criterion (ii): The Berlin housing estates were built on the basis of a new housing policy oriented towards the improvement of public welfare. The rise of new cooperative, trade union and municipal housing societies made it possible to build housing promoting healthy living conditions for the lower and middle classes of society on a large scale. The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf was an integral part of this comprehensive housing programme. As a large-scale GEHAG project, it was also one of the largest estates in Berlin in terms of area.

For the first time, holistic planning concepts for housing, green space and infrastructure were developed as the basis for planning and building housing estates. The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf exemplifies this holistic approach, integrating a connection to Berlin’s underground transportation network into the plan from the beginning, as well as expanding the U-Bahn station by adding shopping arcades and a cinema. Thus, a pioneering infrastructural concept in terms of transport, utilities and culture was implemented in a housing estate for the first time.

With the construction of the housing estates, a new aesthetic based on the interpretation of functional requirements was introduced. The sophisticated urban composition of the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf can be seen in the arrangement of the rows of housing blocks, for example, with low-rise building sections set back at the corners of each street. In addition, there is a juxtaposition of "busy" and "quiet" or "open" and "closed" street corridors, which responds to artistic demands for modernness and functional practicality in urban development. The architecture of the standardised housing types likewise shows commitment to the new aesthetic in terms of façade design and interior design. Lastly, the consistent design of the material-saving flat roofs is one of many characteristics of a new aesthetic. The highly differentiated use of colour, which is applied to everything from the façade structure to the structural details, is of the utmost importance, not least because it is conducive to spatial orientation. This is also reflected in the small-scale colour differentiation of the front doors and window muntins, which allows for new structures reminiscent of contemporary non-objective painting, such as works by the De Stijl group of artists.

The settlements are a decisive contribution to the rationalisation and economisation of mass housing worldwide through the optimisation of standardised floor plan solutions and building details for industrial production. The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf contributed to this development by further developing and improving floor plan types and window types as well as construction details.

Criterion (iv): The Berlin estates document the further development of concepts in housing design from the Garden City model to the large housing estate, which established new hygienic and social standards and, above all, consistently filled the demand for living space with "light, air and sun" as a new norm. The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, with its combination of rows of terraced houses in a leafy, tree-rich environment and large multi-storey apartment buildings along a central traffic axis, represents a significant hybrid of Garden City elements and the structure of a large housing estate. 

Each of the settlements demonstrates in its own way the intention to give equal weight and consideration to urban development, architecture and the design of public and green space. The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf shows the close interlocking of indoor and outdoor living spaces, as each housing unit has a direct relationship to the natural space around it: the ground floor flats have garden exits, the upper flats have spacious balconies, and the terraced houses each have their own garden areas as "outdoor living spaces" as well as spaces for subsistence farming.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

The six settlements already inscribed on the WHL were selected from among numerous Berlin settlements "... for their historical, architectural, artistic and social significance..." (OUV statement, summary 2008). The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, despite its high quality, was not included in the application for World Heritage listing at the time due to the impending privatisation of the cooperative buildings in those years. It was unclear whether the integrity and authenticity of the settlement could be preserved over the long term.

Today, more than a decade later, the situation has changed significantly. Since the acquisition of most of the apartment buildings by a company with an interest in maintaining the character of the existing stock, the majority has been renovated in accordance with the preservation order, thus retaining and/or regaining its original quality. 

Today the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf is distinguished by an exceptionally high degree of authenticity and integrity that extends to all of its structural details. The architecturally and urbanistically defined estate is of sufficient scale and can fully represent the characteristics that comprise the significance of the already-inscribed World Heritage settlements. No particular threat to the property and its characteristics is recognised today.

The urban structure is fully intact.

The estate proposed for inscription meets a high standard of historic authenticity. The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf exemplifies the key features of the settlements already on the World Heritage List. This is true not just of its material and substance, but also its form and design, its function, its location and its surroundings.

The high level of identification with their living environment that many residents feel is reflected in a broad spectrum of civic engagement. Continued commitment to a conservative and sensitive development approach is largely supported by the residents. In the long term, the settlement is to be integrated into a district-wide management system in conjunction with the other World Heritage-listed settlements.

Due to its outstanding architectural, artistic and social qualities, the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf strengthens the OUV of the World Heritage Sites.

Comparison with other similar properties

In the following analysis, the Waldsiedlung is compared with the existing components of the recognised World Heritage Site "Settlements of Berlin Modernism". The contribution of the Waldsiedlung to the existing OUV is elaborated on the basis of the values defined for that site.

All of the settlements are the spectacular results of a housing policy oriented towards the public welfare. While the Gartenstadt Falkenberg and the Siedlung Schillerpark were cooperative projects, and while the Weiße Stadt and Siemensstadt settlements were developed by municipal building societies, the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, along with the Großsiedlung Britz and the Wohnstadt Carl Legien, was a large-scale project of the trade union housing association GEHAG.

In terms of holistic planning which assigned equal importance to housing, the planning of open spaces and infrastructure, the Schillerpark housing estate and the Carl Legien residential town made special contributions to the normalisation of infrastructural facilities, such as shared laundry rooms. The integration of shops is common to the large housing estates Britz, Weiße Stadt and Siemensstadt, as well as to the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf. The Waldsiedlung, however, with its inclusion of a transport, social and cultural infrastructure center (railway station, shopping arcades with restaurants and a cinema), stands out in meeting the demand for technical, social and cultural progress in a complex way.

With regard to the introduction of new aesthetics and detailed new solutions in housing development, each settlement has its own characteristics. Falkenberg, with its village-green-like “Acacia courtyard“, shows small-town structures as early examples of successful variation on an architectural type. The Schillerpark settlement, on the other hand, with its rather compact urban figure, consistently displays elements of the Neues Bauen in its cubic, flat-roofed architecture, seen here for the first time. The large housing estate Britz, with its horseshoe shape and unique rhomboid street figure (“Hüsung“), has strong identity-forming urban features and a striking combination of terraced houses with gable roofs and flat-roofed apartment buildings. The Carl Legien residential town shows large rows of U-shaped housing blocks that relate to each other symmetrically. The Weiße Stadt and the Siemensstadt likewise display new, distinctive urban figures, such as the unique bridge construction of the former and the funnel-shaped housing estate entrance of the latter. In contrast, the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, with its clear urban structure, its broad architectural gestures such as the "whip-crack" and the rhythmic divisions of its rows of blocks, also shows an urban design firmly committed to modernity. All of the housing estates feature the use of colour as a design element. This can be seen above all in the Falkenberg Garden City, but also in the large housing estate at Britz and the Carl Legien residential town. In the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, the use of colour was intended to serve a particular design function. Here, colour was used in a highly differentiated manner, from the façade structure to the details of the doors, windows and entrance areas, such that the settlement was also given the nickname "paint pot".

In terms of the rationalisation and economisation of mass housing, the Falkenberg Garden City is an early example of the typification of floor plans and building details. The Britz, Weiße Stadt and Siemensstadt large housing estates also have their own respective characters in terms of standardised architectural types. At the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, this was continued through the further development and improvement of the floor plan types already developed for Britz. The Waldsiedlung also features innovative window types and new constructive details in the roof structure.

With regard to the development from the Garden City concept to that of the large housing estate, the Berlin settlements each show their typological variance in their own way. While the Garden City concept was implemented in Falkenberg, the Weiße Stadt and Siemensstadt estates were designed purely as large housing estates. The Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf further develops the mixed form already found in the large settlement Britz (Hufeisensiedlung) and shows an innovative combination of Garden City elements and large settlement structures.

The intention to give equal consideration to urban development, architecture and the design of open spaces can be seen in each settlement. In Falkenberg, the gardens are an essential element of the settlement’s image, and were assigned a special significance as kitchen gardens close to the houses. In the Schillerpark estate, the public and semi-public areas are an integral component of a holistic social spatial concept and part of the outdoor living space defined by Taut. In Britz, as in the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, the consistent implementation of the idea of an open, green urban development on the one hand, and the integration of private, individual house gardens on the other, is clearly evident; the Waldsiedlung, moreover, is further enriched by the extensive stands of trees that give it its name. Meanwhile, the inner-city housing estates of Weiße Stadt and Siemensstadt demonstrate the equivalence of indoor and outdoor spaces in a completely different way: here there are numerous open spaces that can be used by the community, with high-quality structural planting that set new standards.

Conclusion
The comparative analysis reveals that the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf, in the totality of its defined values, possesses the same outstanding characteristics that distinguish the Berlin housing estates already inscribed on the World Heritage List. It is a unique testimony to the richness of variation in reform housing. The unconventional choice of colours and the artful fusion of the older urban planning idea of the Garden City with the newer concept of the large housing estate encourage comparison with the large housing estate at Britz as a mixed form. At the same time, the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf offers an independent solution that is particularly groundbreaking due to its contemporary connection to the Berlin underground network.

Leading planners and architects of the time participated in the construction of the Waldsiedlung, and they were already able to demonstrate their brilliance in the construction of the other World Heritage Sites. With the Waldsiedlung, variants within the spectrum of Modernism were implemented that resulted in a seventh Berlin housing estate of the highest quality.