The authors of those exhibitions can also be considered pioneers of twentieth century architecture. They paved the way for new ideas in urban planning and housing architecture, even though they could often not see the potential issues with their new solutions, even though some of the proposed ideas were utopian or had already been implemented by other authors earlier. These were times of real ”housing hunger” when the need to find an inexpensive and functional model flat had become a state matter. The WuWA model housing estate by the Werkbund takes a special place in the history of the development of the modern European dwelling. The authors of the estate aimed to present medium and small sized flats of great social importance and tested the new emerging technologies and construction materials in the tough Silesian climate. The solution to this problem was especially pertinent to Wrocław which at that time was one of the most overcrowded German cities. The exhibition was to draw attention to the Province of Silesia and to make people realise that Wrocław was not Vladivostok and Silesia was not Siberia1. The authors of the WuWA estate proved that the application of new technologies and reasonable use of them could promote new lifestyle and cultural values. Artistic creativity and technical approach did not exclude each other. The style that was created adjusted to the new social and industrial environment. The new style, dominated by plain surfaces and minimal decoration, was especially well-suited to large number of anonymous users and to mass production principles. The authors of the WuWA Exhibition attempted to achieve three aims: mass production and low cost construction, individualisation of needs and artistic value. Some of them tried to combine these aims into the common idea: social flat – 1
Georg MÜNTER,Wohnung und Werkraum. Ein Versuch die Werkbund – Ausstellung in Breslau 1929 zu würdigen, ”Wasmuths Monatshefte für Baukunst”, vol. 13, 1929, p. 441.
community of tenants. The model housing estates by the Werkbund were to initiate a new era of construction, free from traditional attitudes and change people and their lives forever.
WuWA 1929 2014 9