Forster & Heighes
Das Hufeisen- Projekt
The tightly curved form of the Hufeisen Siedlung assists in a process of collective re-examination. The apartments face in upon each other, with the occupants lives unconsciously reflected back upon themselves. A shifting band of light illuminates each balcony as the sun moves from east to west, the pool reflects the sky, and every entrance way and route across the garden space can be observed.
It is a benign communal vision, yet one that is very alive and fluid, giving the Hufeisen a particular atmosphere of expectation.
Die Erde eine gute Wohnung (The Earth, a Good Apartment)
An original performance devised from the writings and drawings of the architect Bruno Taut (1880 - 1938). It was based around Taut’s architectural symphony Der Weltbaumeister (1920) and included the architect’s own words from his most famous publication Alpine Architecture (1919) It also included passages from his Japanese diary, written while in exile in Japan from 1933 – 1936. Although the sources were diverse the intention of the performance was simple – to celebrate the vivid creativity of one of Germany’s most extraordinary architects and to reveal the ideas and ideals behind one of Berlin’s most significant housing schemes.
Produced by the Hebbel Theater HAU with funding from the Haupstadtkulturfond the project was the result of a two-year research period and included experimental 3D animation by Tapio Snellman and Christian Grou, with contributions from architectural historians, local residents, and a company of five performers, accompanied by a team of handbell ringers.
The site we chose for this outdoor film and performance event was Taut’s masterwork the Hufeisensiedlung (1925-33) in Berlin-Neukölln.. Nominated as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the housing project was designed as an urban amphitheatre of 96 apartments: its azure balconies facing inwards as if expectant of an imminent drama.
For Die Erde eine gute Wohnung we transformed the central gardens and lake of the estate with a series of floating and elevated structures, that transformed the Hufesien into a sacred performance space in which to reunite Taut’s impossible drama with his improbable proletarian theatre.
Using film and live performance the project illuminated Taut’s unique architectural philosophy and offered an historical insight into the changing nature of the Hufeisen from its early days as an experiment in utopian urban living to its current re-branding for the international property investment market.
Conceived for the period between twilight and darkness Die Erde eine gute Wohnung was a simple, yet generous, celebration of the spiritual forces out of which the Siedlung was born more than 90 years ago.
“Forster and Heighes turn Bruno Taut’s horseshoe housing complex into a magical place…layers of image and text moving playfully across time. “The Earth a Good Apartment” is captivating viewing, not least because of its eccentric delivery of knowledge…one immediately wants to start walking and exploring the houses and gardens.”
Tageszeitung, Berlin
place making process
