Abstract
The image of Berlin as a Horizontal Metropolis, placed on a continuous green surface is the result of a long tradition of projects and concepts that is worth reconsidering. In particular today, in a time where this prolific and peculiar tradition appears to fail with the risk of being forgotten. In this article the juxtaposition of theories and projects emerging from the German tradition serves to provide an understanding of the peculiar condition of Berlin’s urban landscape and it may lead to a reappraisal of notion of the contemporary Horizontal Metropolis. I will focus on three theoretical positions, laid out in three different publications: Die Inflation Der Grossstädte (Erich Gloeden), Berlin Das Grüne Stadtarchipel (Oswald Mathias Ungers) and Zwischenstadt (Thomas Sieverts). These three books were written in different cultural and temporal contexts, (respectively in 1923, 1977, 1997) and are concerned with the concept of the Horizontal Metropolis. The hypothesis is that the primary arguments of each converge in a common theme, with several shared features. Although it is important to take into account the dissimilarities, the juxtaposition of these text makes a fundamental contribution to the understanding of the contemporary Horizontal Metropolis in Germany.
Ph.D., 2016, “Berliner Spaziergänge, archeologia della metropoli verde”, Iuav University of Venice. Supervisor: Paola Viganò.
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Notes
- 1.
Hegemann cited in Viganò, p. 83 recalls that the migration to America was considered by Goethe in his work “Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre” to be the only possible solution to get out of the enormous crisis that cities ware facing.
- 2.
On this concern Viganó did some interpretative redrawing of his model where one can see the layers by which the plan is composed. See Viganó 2011, pp. 86 and 88.
- 3.
See Gloeden E., chapter II paragraph I.
- 4.
Each large city connection is inconvenient in relation to the transport needs in small cities, where walking for short distances is feasible.
- 5.
With this word it is intended the transitory area between different biomes and a the integration of two communities is supposed. This implied a in-depth understanding of the landscape and its ecology.
- 6.
As monist I am referring in particular to personality such as Erst Heackel and Raul Heinrich Francé and to the philosophical idea according to which every phenomenon it is regulated by one basic principle. Especially Francé appear to be very influent in the urbanist discussion.
- 7.
See Sieverts, ix Foreword to the English version.
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Veronese, L. (2018). Berlin Dispersed: A Genealogy of Ideas. In: Viganò, P., Cavalieri, C., Barcelloni Corte, M. (eds) The Horizontal Metropolis Between Urbanism and Urbanization. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75975-3_8
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