Schminke House, Germany, Hans Scharoun, 1930–1933
In 1930, Hans Scharoun designed the Schminke House for Fritz Schminke, owner of a noodle factory in Löbau, Saxony, Germany. Schminke had requested a modern house for his family of six, with space for occasional guests. The resulting design is considered Scharoun's most important work from the period before the Second World War and is comparable in significance to Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye and Mies van der Rohe's Tugendhat House. The Schminke House is a modernist masterpiece characterized by clean lines, simple forms, and an emphasis on natural light and open spaces. The house is now open to the public as a museum, allowing visitors to experience Scharoun's design genius at close quarters.
A Masterwork of Modernist Architecture · The Schminke House is one of Hans Scharoun's key works. Built between 1930 and 1933, it attracted worldwide attention and is recognized as an outstanding example of "Neues Bauen" (new building) and of modern architecture in the International Style.
Fritz Schminke first met Scharoun at the Werkbund exhibitions in Stuttgart (1927) and Breslau (1929). The client and his wife Charlotte worked closely with the architect throughout the design phase. Charlotte attached great importance to functional and economical household furnishings within the space, for simplifying family life. The living areas, on the other hand, were to be spacious and open. The result of this collaboration was a house that was at once extraordinary and practical: its architecture had developed organically from the functions and needs of its inhabitants. With its curved, brilliantly white facades, porthole-like windows, terraces, and unusual exterior staircases, the house evokes an ocean liner. Scharoun, who had grown up in the coastal city of Bremerhaven, often alluded to his native place: stairs and metal railings, balconies and round windows — all hallmarks of his work — are present here as well. Scharoun always paid close attention to creating a harmonious relationship between building and landscape. Although clear documentation of plans by Herta Hammerbacher, the garden designer, does not exist, she was most likely the inspiration behind the redesign of the garden in the 1930s.
Photographs: Wójcik Gorak 3/3
As a dynamic connection between nature and architecture, floor-to-ceiling windows open the living spaces to the outside. Inside, the rooms merge seamlessly into one another. Only sliding doors and curtains separate the spaces; form and color reinforce the spatial structure. In 1945 the Red Army confiscated the house and converted it into the Soviet military commandant's office. The Schminke family reclaimed the house in 1946, but at the same time Fritz lost his factory. His wife Charlotte subsequently established a recreational center for children from families bombed out of their homes, to make a living. Her husband returned from Russian captivity in 1948 and in 1950 left the former East Germany. He was considered a war criminal for having supplied material to the German army during World War II. His wife followed him and both moved to Celle, Lower Saxony, in 1951. Today, the Schminke House is recognized as one of the most important residential buildings of its era in the world. Shortly after its completion, it was hailed as a revolutionary work of modernism, and in 1978 it was placed under historical monument protection. The house is now administered by a foundation that organizes themed tours and makes it available for multi-day stays. This allows visitors to experience the residential qualities of the house at first hand, rather than presenting it as a museum. The house is also regularly used for events such as meetings, seminars, and celebrations.