Did you know that this building is named after a German-American city planner? I am talking about the Ludwig Lehmeir Building. Let me tell you more about Ludwig Hilberseimer.
Ludwig Hilberseimer was born in Karlsruhe Germany in 1885. He died in Chicago in 1967. Hilberseimer was an architect and urban planner. He is known for his connection to the Bauhaus movement. He also worked with Mies van der Rohe.
In 1928, Ludwig Hilberseimer founded the Department of City Planning at the Bauhaus in Dessau. He developed a linear city form. This form featured horizontally related housing and industrial units.
Street hierarchy was first elaborated by Ludwig Hilberseimer in his book. It was called “Großstadt Architektur” or Architecture of the Metropolis. This happened in 1927. He emphasized the safety for children walking to school. He also wanted to increase the speed of vehicular traffic.
In 1938, Ludwig Hilberseimer moved to the United States. He became a professor of city planning at the Illinois Institute of Technology. This was in Chicago. There, he demonstrated the decentralization of cities. He created a plan for Chicago. He also showed how to integrate agriculture, industry, and transportation.
Hilberseimer taught at IIT for many years. He died in 1967. His notable project is Lafayette Park in Detroit. He designed it with Mies van der Rohe and Alfred Caldwell.
Ludwig Hilberseimer believed in sustainable urban development. He thought human habitation should protect people from disasters. This vision influenced urban planning concepts. His universal planning system aimed for a gradual dissolution of major cities. It also aimed for a complete integration of landscape and settlement.
The Ludwig Karl Hilberseimer Papers are at the Art Institute of Chicago. This collection includes drawings and photographs. It also contains other printed materials. His writings include “The New City”. He also wrote “The New Regional Pattern” and “The Nature of Cities”.
So, the Ludwig Lehmeir Building stands as a tribute to Hilberseimer’s vision. It reminds us of his contributions to urban planning. Consider his innovative ideas as you pass by this building.