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Berlin University, Planning Project, Isometric Bird's Eye Plan

A work made of ink on heavy paper.

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  • A work made of ink on heavy paper.

Date:

1936–1937

Artist:

Ludwig Karl Hilberseimer
American born Germany, 1885–1967

About this artwork

From the 1920s to the 1930s, German architect and planner Ludwig Hilberseimer’s work transitioned from a focus on the high-rise city to what he described as “mixed-height” housing developments (Mischbebauung) that joined high and low-rise housing types with vast areas of green space. In a series of drawings for the redevelopment of the area around the University of Berlin, Hilberseimer elaborated his version of the modern superblock, a form of planning that dissolved the traditional city grid in favor of larger tracts of land that could support single and multiple family dwellings with walkable cul-de-sacs for residential areas and framed by larger streets and transit. This decentralized model of city planning, begun in Germany, formed the core of the planner’s work for the American city after his move to Chicago in 1938.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Ludwig Karl Hilberseimer (Architect)

Title

Berlin University, Planning Project, Isometric Bird's Eye Plan

Place

Berlin (Place depicted)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1936–1937

Medium

Ink on heavy paper

Dimensions

Approx.: 38.1 × 52 cm (15 × 20 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of George E. Danforth

Reference Number

1983.1011

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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