House 33 Weissenhof

Hans Scharoun – House 33 in the Weissenhof district, Stuttgart, Germany, 1927

House no. 33 in the Weissenhof district built for the 1927 Housing Exhibition in Stuttgart (Weissenhof Siedlung) is the work of Hans Scharoun.
The housing project is of particular note in the Weissenhof district. The curvilinear design of this, in the purest style of Hans Scharoun, has been the subject of attention. The 12 European architects involved in the design of the housing were given complete freedom in the external design of their houses (except for the design of the roof) and, despite this, a great unified effect was achieved, except in the house of Hans Scharoun, whose sinuous romanticism surpasses any attempt at originality.

To explain the purpose and functioning of this house, the author's quote is presented below: the house consists of one of the smallest housing solutions in the entire exhibition. Very special use and attention has been given to scale and proportions, and perhaps for this reason the impression of many visitors is that the house seems larger than it actually is. The internal unity is based on the creation of clearly differentiated spaces that correspond to the vital functions of the users. The distribution of the house plays with a main axis that works as an invisible line in space, at the end of which there is a kind of water tank. The concept of a wall as an element of space limitation is overcome, and a large participation of the garden in the internal housing unity is ensured.
In addition to the original design of the facility, Sharoun successfully achieves the differentiation of spaces, especially the kitchen, conceived as a living space. Scharoun also presented a second exit parallel to the side of the well, an ironing room and made the distribution of pantry and kitchen from block-like cabinets, which closely resembles the current modern distribution.