AEG TURBINE FACTORY Flashcards
who was the architect for the AEG turbine factory
Peter Brehens
when was this built
1908-9
what does AEG stand for
‘German Eelktricitäts Gesellschaft’ (or general electric company)
AEG context
-founded in Berlin 1883
-pioneered modern, large scale, industrial development (linked to the rise of modernism as a result)
-the firm began producing electric lightbulbs in 1887 after purchasing several patents from Thomas Edison
-after a decade AEG was a world leader in the production of generators, cables, transformers, motors, light bulbs and arc lamps
when did the firm start producing lightbulbs, and what were they producing after a decade
-the firm began producing electric lightbulbs in 1887 after purchasing several patents from Thomas Edison
-after a decade AEG was a world leader in the production of generators, cables, transformers, motors, light bulbs and arc lamps
WHO WAS PETER BREHENS
-born in Hamburg in 1868. Originally trained as a painter, Behrens eventually abandoned painting in favour of graphic and applied arts.
-From 1907 to 1914, Behrens worked as an artistic adviser to the AEG in Berlin.
*Behrens can be considered a key figure in the transition from Jugendstil (lit: “Youth Style”: German counterpart to Art Nouveau) to Industrial Classicism. He played a central role in the evolution of German Modernism.
when was brehens an artistic advisor for AEG
-From 1907 to 1914, Behrens worked as an artistic adviser to the AEG in Berlin.
- Behrens was given complete control over the company’s visual ‘image’ and products, from letterheads to buildings: in effect a corporate identity programme – not common practice until the 1970s.
location
located in a built up industrial suburb of Berlin called Moabit. As such it had to hold its own – the design was intended to stand out; to uphold the AEG brand.
intended fuction of building
as a production site for steam turbines – engines that use pressurised steam to generate electricity. This was a rapidly growing industry in the early 20th century in Germany, as the country’s maritime power developed in rivalry with Britain.
had brehens trained in architecture (and what effect did this have in the process)
no, was self-taught
because of this Behrens was willingly reliant on the expertise of engineer Karl Bernhard and other talented engineers when it came to the building’s materials and structural dimensions.
but as an artist, Behrens was able to give form and meaning to the factory in way that eluded the engineers. Behrens saw the Turbine Factory as a symbol of modernism, and its attributes of speed, noise and power.
scale
122 meters long, 40 meters wide, 26 meters tall
why did he want to make the interior and exterior simple
to directly express its function
how was his employment of girder frames unusual
engineers chose to use fewer, but more massive girder frames than was commonly employed in such a large building.
how does the classicism in this building make it serve a a temple
a temple dedicated to a new age of production
how does it express a new classism
The classicism evoked in its reinforced concrete, pedimented façade was not of bygone traditions, but a new classicism that expressed the industrial advances that were reshaping contemporary life.
where was the AEG logo
at the centre of the monument facade, later became the corporate face of the company
how was this building adapted for its function
*The main assembly hall had to accommodate two large cranes which would lift 100 tons and installed at such a height that the largest turbine parts could be lifted over the machines on the assembly floor.
*The building also needed smaller, flanking constructions for storage and secondary manufacturing operations
*It was also essential that railroad cars were able to enter directly into the work space.
whats the function of this building now
It still serves the same purpose of producing turbines, now for Siemens.
when did brehens begin to work with Karl Bernhard
*In 1908, Behrens began work with the engineer Karl Bernhard on the design of a Turbine Factory in Berlin (1908-9).
how did brehen and Bernhard’s opinions differn on the facade
Behrens believed that the building’s public faces should express the economic might of AEG and the role of industry in the progress of civilisation.
bernhard thought it should be a direct expression of its function
material
made entirely of iron, concrete, and glass
how was the lack of ornamentation significant
In an age in which a decorative style (neo-Classical, neo-Gothic, neo-Baroque) was considered appropriate for prominent buildings, the Turbine Hall marked the arrival of a new, minimalist industrial aesthetic.
description of exterior
monumental exterior
-classical influences seen on facade (Behrens felt the architecture of the machine age should be based on classicism.), gives it mass presence of an Ancient Greek temple
-rusticated corner buttresses with rounded edges
*Continuous side glazing and large projecting window at front.
what are the two simultaneous systems of the exterior
– the outer columnar frame and then the glass surface.
