What if I told you that Haus Auerbach is more than just a building? It is a testament to a family’s legacy. It embodies architectural innovation and artistic collaboration. Welcome to Haus Auerbach, a house that whispers stories of its past.
Haus Auerbach stands as a remarkable example of the Neues Bauen style. Walter Gropius, a pioneer of modern architecture, designed it in 1924. The house was built for Felix Auerbach and his wife Anna. Felix was a professor of theoretical physics. Anna was a champion for women’s rights.
Gropius fully embraced the principles of the “New Building” style in Haus Auerbach. The house appears asymmetrical. It seems to float. Its cubic forms interlock with each other. Gropius used new building materials to construct it economically. Haus Auerbach was the first private house where Gropius used a flat roof.
When you walk around Haus Auerbach, its asymmetry becomes apparent. This design choice allowed the building to feel more dynamic. It overcame the static appearance of traditional structures. The proportions of Haus Auerbach are based on a simple geometric ratio of 3:2. The floors, surfaces, and window arrangement all adhere to this ratio. Felix Auerbach was an acoustician and musician. It is unknown if Gropius developed this motif in tandem with him. Gropius believed perfect proportions were essential for artistic success and beauty.
The exterior walls of Haus Auerbach are made from Jurko stone. This was a construction method used after World War I. Architects used it to cope with the scarcity of materials like limestone and cement. Robert Koppe from Leipzig developed and patented the “Jurko building method”.
The winter garden features a steel-glass construction. It has three three-span windows facing east. A room-high three-span double door faces south. There are three removable three-span windows to the dining room. Wooden blinds can close these windows. They share the same grey tone as the windows.
Inside Haus Auerbach, 37 different gentle pastel tones grace the walls. Alfred Arndt, a Bauhaus member, designed these colors in 1924. The complete color design of Alfred Arndt was extensively corroborated and proven in detail during the sweeping restoration of the house in 1994 and 1995. Arndt created a unique path as a Bauhaus wall decorator with the polychromatic interiors of Haus Auerbach.
Arndt’s color selection combined light and delicate pastel tones. He wanted to create a complex harmony of colors. He seldom used solid colors. Instead, he used them to accentuate light in darker rooms. He treated every room individually. He expressed the character of the rooms in both form and color. Each room has its own special color design. Arndt chose this design according to the specific qualities of each room. The size, light relations, and purpose of the room all played a role in his color choices.
Today, Dr. Barbara Happe and Prof. Dr. Martin S. Fischer own Haus Auerbach.
Haus Auerbach stands not only as a physical structure. It also represents a fusion of art, science, and social ideals. Its innovative design, harmonious proportions, and unique color palette create a space that is both aesthetically pleasing and deeply meaningful. It remains an important example of early Neues Bauen architecture. It inspires architects and art enthusiasts alike.