Modernists Abroad

Weissenhof Settlement; Stuttgart, Germany

The Weissenhof housing colony was erected for a 1927 Deutscher Werkbund exhibition by the City of Stuttgart, directed by Mies van der Rohe. Its 21 buildings by 17 architects, including Le Corbusier and J.J.P. Oud, were a showcase of the International Style. This Weissenhof interior was designed by Marcel Breuer, with four of his B5 side chairs shown around the dining table, and another example is seen below.

Phillip Johnson, who first visited the site in 1929 and selected it for MoMA’s 1932 Modern Architecture show, called it “a little suburb made by all the famous modern architects.” The buildings, intended for workers’ housing, consisted of terraced and detached houses and apartment buildings. Prefabrication made it possible to erect of all the buildings in just five months.

Watch the video

Black-and-white interior view showing a minimalistic arrangement of modern furniture, including dining table with B5 chairs and a set of nesting tables.

The collection

Cantilevered chair with tubular steel frame and a sheet of brown leather suspended between the bars for the seat and another for the back.

1926-27

Side Chair, B5

Designed by: Marcel Breuer (1902–1981)

Material: Chromium-plated steel, leather

Produced by: Standard-Möbel, Germany

Dimensions: 86 x 54 x 44.5 cm

Transcription

0:00:00 – 0:00:13

The city of Dessau is highlighted on an old map on the left side of the image. The image moves on the map to simulate a movement from Dessau to the city of Stuttgart. At the same time a black and white video shows a moving train on the right side of the image. The sound of a moving train and music play in the background. Deutschland is written in white in the center of the image.

0:00:13 – 0:00:31

The city of Stuttgart is highlighted on a map on the left side of the image. Stuttgart is written in white on a black background in the center of the image. On the right side of the image there’s black and white videos showing the city of Stuttgart. Music is playing.

0:00:31 – 0:00:38

There’s a detailed and colourful map of Stuttgart on the left side of the image. It shows the location of the Weissenhof Siedlung. On the right side of the image, a black and white photo of an outer section of the Siedlung Weissenhof appears. A second photo appears on the right side of the image and shows the model of the Weissenhof Siedlung. Weissenhof Siedlung is written in white on a black background in the centre of the picture. Music is playing.

0:00:34 – 0:00:44

A black and white photo shows the Weissenhof Siedlung seen from the top on the left side of the image. A black and white photo shows the exterior of the Weissenhof Siedlung on the right side of the image. Music is playing.

0:00:44 – 0:01:02

A black and white image shows the architect of the Weissenhof Siedlung surrounded by a group of people on the left side of the image. A black and white photo shows one of the rooms of the Siedlung Weissenhof on the right side of the image. There is a bookcase, an armchair and a small coffee table. Music is playing.