Motoryzacja a geneza form architektury Ericha Mendelsohna z lat 20. XX wieku

Abstrakt

At the beginning of the 1920s, streamlined forms were introduced into German automobile design, not only significantly improving the aerodynamic properties of the vehicles, but also giving them a dynamic look. At the same time, Erich Mendelsohn, inspired by the rapidly developing automotive industry in Germany, and perhaps also by the futuristic car designs of the time in Berlin, began to refer in his architecture to their shapes, functionality and impressions that these vehicles implied. The most striking examples of these references are the Mossehaus building in Berlin and the Petersdorff in Wrocław. The references were mainly manifested in the strong horizontalism of the façade composition, the rounded corners and the abundant use of glass and other glossy materials. However, Mendelsohn was not the first creator to use such means – previously similar ones were applied by Hans Poelzig, Frank Lloyd Wright and representatives of the Chicago school. Mendelsohn’s achievements in the field of architecture inspired Norman Bel Geddes in the next decade, who, by developing the style known as streamline, propagated the forms of Mendelsohn’s architecture in the field of design, including automobile design.