Here lies a visionary. Hans Scharoun, the architect who dared to dream of spaces that resonated with humanity. Scharoun was born in Bremen in 1893. He died in Berlin in 1972. He left an indelible mark on the world.
Scharoun studied architecture in Berlin. However, he did not complete his studies. Even at 16, he was already drafting designs. At 18, he entered an architectural competition. The competition was for the modernisation of a church in Bremerhaven.
He volunteered in World War I. After the war, he worked as a freelance architect in Breslau. There he realized numerous projects. He also organized art exhibitions.
Scharoun received a professorship at the Breslau Academy for Arts and Crafts. He taught there until its closure in 1932. Scharoun joined Bruno Taut’s expressionist architects group, the Glass Chain, in 1919. In 1926 he joined the architects association Der Ring.
In 1927, Scharoun built a house in the Stuttgart Weissenhof Estate. He was responsible for the development plan of a large housing estate. It was the Großsiedlung Siemensstadt in Berlin. Hugo Häring’s theory inspired Scharoun in a new architectural direction.
During the Nazi era, he remained in Germany. He built a few family houses. One was the Schminke House in Löbau, Saxony. These houses adapted to political construction specifications outwardly. Inside, they displayed Scharoun’s typical sequences of spaces. During the war, he secretly recorded his architectural ideas in watercolors.
After World War II, the Allies appointed him to the city building council. He became director of the Department of Building and Municipal Housing. He presented his ideas for the reconstruction of Berlin in an exhibition.
In 1946, he became a professor at the Technische Universität Berlin. After the war, he realized his architectural understanding in exemplary buildings. These included the Stuttgart apartment towers of Romeo und Julia. Also, the Geschwister-Scholl-Gesamtschule Lünen and the Berliner Philharmonie.
Common to all these buildings is a new kind of entrance. It leads to an imaginative and socially differentiated space. The school is planned like a child-friendly city. The apartment towers allow for flexible allocation of space. The Philharmonic Concert Hall is internationally recognized. It is considered Scharoun’s best work. The spectators rise in terraces around the music podium. The ceiling planes layer like a tent over the architectural landscape.
The German Embassy in Brasília is his only building outside of Germany. Some of his most important buildings were finished after his death. These include the German Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven and the theatre in Wolfsburg. Also, the Berlin State Library.
Hans Scharoun received many awards. These include an Honorary Doctorate from the Technische Universität Berlin in 1954. Also, the Fritz Schumacher Prize, the Berlin Arts Prize, and the Erasmus Prize in 1970.
From 1955 to 1968, Scharoun was president of the Academy of Arts, Berlin. In 1966, he was a founding member of the Paul-Hindemith-Gesellschaft in Berlin.
Scharoun’s work is a testament to organic architecture. It establishes a harmony between concept, program, and context. His Berlin Philharmonic is his most well-known project. His designs aimed to create a balance between nature and architecture.
As you stand here, remember Hans Scharoun’s vision. Remember his dedication to creating spaces that uplift and inspire. His legacy lives on in the buildings he designed. Also, it lives on in the hearts of those who experience them.