Architecture

Immediately after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the prefabricated large estates of eastern Germany were at the forefront of discussions on urban development, and they were regarded as a problem. These constructions, built in almost all the large cities since the 1960s, were called "die Platte" (the slab), partly with affectionate irony and partly with contempt.

The enormous scale of estates such as Hellersdorf-Marzahn in Berlin and Halle-Neustadt, as well as their monotonous design and their lack of infrastructure, were seen as a major challenge of the post-transformation period. "The slab", the epitome of modernity, progress, comfort and socialist mixing of all social classes during the GDR era, became synonymous with outmoded urban planning models and a scenario of imminent social collapse after 1989, especially from a western German point of view. With their – at first sight – stereotypical standardisation, they became a symbol of the demise of the socialist model of society. To a large extent, however, a differentiated appreciation of their architecture from a historical and aesthetic perspective did not take place. It may thus be seen as an example of political farsightedness that as early as in the early 1990s, a clear commitment was made at both Federal and municipal level to completely redevelop these estates.

40 per cent of all residential units

The dimensions of such a redevelopment programme become clear when one realises that in the eastern districts of Berlin alone 270,000 residential units, equivalent to more than 40 per cent of the total number, are on the big estates. The fact that, of these, nearly 100,000 apartments were produced using one particular model, namely the meanwhile notorious apartment construction series 70 (WBS 70), highlights the problem of a certain monotony; at the same time, however, the actual variety of constructional, typological and design approaches is often overlooked. Billions have been put into restructuring the eastern German concrete slab estates since the 1990s. The focus has been on renovating the facades, installing new baths and toilets, and the often difficult task of greening open spaces. What many observers perceive as the overall monotony of urban districts has been counteracted by the effective use of colour and the renovation of balconies and verandas, though this has often changed the characteristic appearance of the buildings fundamentally. This policy of carrying out major redevelopment work, some of it admirably using ecological construction methods, enabled Berlin-Hellersdorf, for example, to be exhibited as one of the World Exposition's off-site projects during Expo 2000.

In addition, modern GDR design of the 1960s and 1970s has become increasingly attractive in the film, advertising and music industry in recent years, leading to a shift of paradigms in the evaluation of the GDR's design models. The success of the feature film "Goodbye, Lenin!" is due in part to the aesthetics of the former GDR. Music videoclips are being set in modern eastern German locations, and apartments in inner-city concrete-slab blocks are becoming trendy locations for a contemporary lifestyle. The concrete slabs have become cult objects – at least for the "trend scouts". Craft models of GDR large estates and card games featuring pictures of the different types of concrete-slab buildings have become German gift items, and in Dresden, a local initiative is making efforts to set up a museum of concrete-slab, high-rise buildings.

Flexible treatment of standardised architecture

This partial success story cannot, however, conceal the fact that the social mixture that was typical of large estates in eastern Germany until 1989 is now under threat. As an increasing number of people build their own homes or move away due to unemployment in the new Länder, many estates are increasingly coming to have a social monostructure, and many apartments stand empty. As a result, the previous redevelopment strategy has had to be refined and some demolitions have had to be integrated into the planning. However, it is precisely this need for replanning that holds great opportunities, and these are being promoted through a whole series of corresponding measures within the framework of the programme "Stadtumbau Ost" (urban redevelopment in eastern Germany) launched by the Federal Government. In order to maintain existing buildings, the potential of standardised architecture is being treated ever more flexibly: it is not only possible to extend it but also to scale it down attractively. Standard apartments are being converted into generous maisonette flats, and attractive urban villas can result from the partial demolition of high-rise buildings. Meanwhile, there are the first prize-winning examples of such work in Dresden-Gorbitz, in Cottbus in Brandenburg or in Marzahn-Nord in Berlin, where for many residents an attractive alternative, the "Ahrensfelder Terrassen", has materialised out of a typical GDR block of flats through partial demolition and modification. The concrete-slab estates remain a challenge, and it is in its success in meeting this challenge that the quality of a differentiated redevelopment policy will be measured.