PETER BEHRENS

In the works of Behrens, who has been most noticeable phenomenon in the architecture of Germany, beginning 1920′s, it is difficult to interlace progressive and reactionary tendencies of his time. Primness velikoprusskogo chauvinism, combined with the worship of human labor, tap the tradition - with a sober rationalism and daring design decisions. In person Behrens summarizes many of the contradictions of his time.

Peter Behrens was born April 14, 1868 in Hamburg, in the aristocratic family. He was not immediately able to find his calling. First, Peter studied at the Hamburg Technical School. In 1886-1889 years he worked in the picturesque classes in Karlsruhe, and Dusseldorf. In 1886-1889 years Behrens painting classes attended art school in Karlsruhe and Dusseldorf. In Munich, as an artist painter and graphic artist, he became a member of Secession. Peter wavered in his hobbies of realistic art B. Label and decorative compositions "Art Nouveau". In its picturesque manner Behrens inclination of art.

After a trip to Italy in 1896, Behrens has become one of the founders of the United Union of Arts and Crafts ", the so-called Munich Circle. In 1898, he carried out his first work in this new field for himself. Among them, for example, different forms laconicism bottles prototypes for mass production of glass factories.

In 1899 Behrens was invited to Darmstadt, where they enter the group of young architects, painters and sculptors, was engaged in experiments in the joint utilization of the different spatial arts. These studies have stimulated his interest in architecture.

Photo — «Peter Behrens»

In 1901, he created his first work in this area - its own house in Darmstadt, which is fully equipped. It can feel a definite influence of the Van de Velde and Mac, but the house that stronger than usual for that time, the building of German Modernism.

Go Behrens in architecture is not random. At the turn of the century German art, on the one hand, more and more clearly defined trend of monumentality, a demonstration of brute force, opposing "nervousness" Impressionism and Art Nouveau decoration, on the other hand - is increasing interest in "of the real, tangible involvement in the organization living environment. Architecture and art are that the first plan, the visual arts are seen as secondary.

In his project was built by the German pavilion at the International Exhibition in Turin. Subsequent work showed Behrens, together with the search for ever more monumental, it is removed from the modern sblizhayas with the traditions of classicism: exhibition hall in Oldenburg (1905) observed cubic symmetry of the volume, composition crematorium in Hagen (1906), created under the influence of inlaid marble, Florentine Renaissance architecture , is very clear, decor geometrichen. In the projects of houses rassudochnaya logic is influenced classicist Schinkel.

At the same time, Behrens is actively engaged in teaching courses at the masters in Nuremberg (1901-1902), and then in Dusseldorf school artwork (1903-1907), as well as in Dusseldorf, Vienna and the Berlin Academy of Arts.

In 1907, Behrens has been invited for the post of artistic adviser to Germany′s largest electric company AEG.

Photo — «Peter Behrens»

The Berlin office Behrens worked Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier. This association led by a prominent bourgeois politician V. Ratenau, sought to make a high aesthetic quality of the production tool in the fight for international markets, as a representative, a monumental image of the production facilities considered essential for the approval of the prestige of the firm. The duties of Behrens included not only the design of electrical equipment, branded packaging, catalogs and posters, but also building factories and workshops. The specificity of industrial products for mass production for the first time the full artistic expression in the work of Behrens for AEG.

The feasibility of the form, it is consistent with the properties of the material and its processing technology have led to broad dissemination of prototypes of electric devices, created by Behrens. Five large industrial buildings designed by him for AEG between 1908 and 1911 years were the peak of its architectural creativity.

The most famous among them - building turbine factory in Berlin (1909), distinguished by the majority, Cyclopean monumentality. The impression made is not a massive pile and ceremonial attributes, but, above all, tremendous size, scale crushing facility. Portraits building is perceived in its technological features, but as a symbolic expression of all-conquering force in the nascent union man and machine. Noteworthy that this result was achieved without a decorative style, designed to manage the construction of steel and glass, the first in Germany.

": Monumental Art - wrote later Behrens, - is the highest and most important reflection of a culture of a certain period.

Photo — «Peter Behrens»

It is, of course, finds expression in the field, deeply чтимых and sacred to the people who are for him a source of strength.

: Monumentality is not the spatial grandeur. Works of art on the small side can be monumental, to produce a significant effect of "majesty", they may be and those that do not make any impression on a single viewer. The monumental works on the law designed to have an impact on the masses of people, and only then will this impact can indeed occur.

: Monumental majesty can not be expressed financially. It affects us from other, more in-depth resources. The secret lies in its proportions and adherence patterns manifested in the architectural relationships. "

The building is a factory of high tension in Berlin (1910) well-organized complex function clearly expressed in the symmetrical construction of the masses. Echoes shinkelevskogo classicism speak more clearly than in the songs of turbine factory. Tends to the traditional appearance of the building and administration of the group Mannesmann in Dusseldorf (1911-1912), interesting as a prototype-established through decades of "office" with a flexible internal layout, the movement of partitions.

Classicist monumental interpretation prevails in the composition of small motor factory (1911), the length of the facade which divided vertical cylindrical pylons simplified geometrizirovannogo warrant.

This follows the admission Behrens in traditionally closed volume of the German Embassy in St. Petersburg (1911-1912), where the desire to "force Teutonic spirit" led to an oppressive gravity massive facade, faced with red granite.

Photo — «Peter Behrens»

In the interpretation of the warrant destroyed the traces of Hellenic humanism. The emotional nature of its architecture reminds of ancient Oriental despotism. Imperialist tendencies of Kaiser′s Germany posed here were the most concrete expression.

The First World War and post-war years, events have disclosed to Behrens true national chauvinism, its direct link with the most reactionary, anti-democratic forces. Frustration and confusion brought together with Behrens expressionists. The new language of expression, he draws in the deformation techniques, which are typical for the pre-nationalist romanticism years without breaking, however, with the rationality of the whole.

Behrens is the best drama in the interior of the vestibule, a cross-cutting storey office building Farben in Hoechst (1920-1924). However, the composition of the plant in Oberhausen (1921-1925) noted the predominance of the rational over the emotional. Its asymmetry and horizontal aspiration of the recall F. L. Wright.

In the future, Behrens finally has joined the rationalist. In 1925, he was actively supported by Gropius in the Bauhaus and the conflict between the reactionary authorities of Weimar. His artistic language remained, however, far from kubisticheskogo the nature of the experiments of its former pupils. In 1925-1926 years he had built two houses for workers in Vienna. In Vienna, where he was in 1922 elected to the seat O. Wagner Professor and Director of the Academy of Arts, Graduate School of Architecture, he translated his architectural studio. The last major work of Behrens was building the tobacco factory in Linz (1936), be organized and designed, but lacking the expressiveness of the early works.

Photo — «Peter Behrens»

After coming to power of Hitler Behrens was accused of communist sympathies, which the Nazis, was reflected in its buildings. But the architect managed to persuade the authorities in the absence of connection between his art and politics. Behrens was in the passive opposition to the regime. But at the same time ecstatic monumentality of his buildings, glorify pre-imperialist ambitions of Germany, as a model for clumsily Cyclopean psevdoklassitsizma, official psevdostilya "Third Reich".

Behrens died in Berlin on February 27, 1940.

Rassudochny rather than emotional, he had a brilliant ability to create a harmonious and functional tectonic structure on the basis of technical designs. The main credit to Behrens, it was the introduction of art in the industry, laying the foundation for the type of activity, which was now the name of design. Behrens was able to raise the architecture of industrial buildings to monumental, pathetic art and show tremendous artistic potential, the prisoner in the methods of forming specific to modern technology. Among his students - the three greatest masters of Western European architecture of the period between the two world wars - Le Corbusier, Gropius and Mies van der Rohe.