It was believed that they could change people and their lives. Have lasting impact on architectural landscape and start a new way of thinking about housing construction. They were an expression of the belief that in a modern, democratic world it is possible to meet the housing needs of the population and thus create a new society, conscious of its choices.
Weissenhof, Nový Dům, WuWA, Neubühl, Lainz, Baba - experimental Werkbund housing estates built in Europe between 1927-1932, significantly influenced the development of world architecture. There are only six of them - in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Austria - symbolizing ‘architectural and urban revolution’ of the first half of the twentieth century. They constitute cultural heritage of extraordinary importance, a reflection of the history of political and social movements in Europe, a testimony of the dissemination of modernist architecture. Moreover, both today and in the future, they are an ambitious challenge in the field of monument protection.
The exhibition “A way to modernity”, presented in the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw from 31 March till 5 June 2016, exhibited all the model housing estates in one place for the first time. The exhibition was one of the most important events undertaken as part of the architectural program of the European Capital of Culture Wroclaw 2016.
Thanks to the cooperation of six cities and six institutions affiliated with them, you were able to see the historical plans, architectural designs and documents, models of all the estates and individual houses, as well as archival and contemporary photo documentation, original furniture, interior elements and domestic appliances. This was a unique opportunity to show the original design of a kitchen, dining room and living room from Neubühl estate in Zurich, bedroom furnishings from estates in Brno and Stuttgart, and lamps, dishes and toys from Baba estate in Prague.
Presentations showed the present condition of Werkbund estates were prepared specifically for the exhibition. The exhibition was complemented by an extensive catalog containing articles written by experts in the field of modernist architecture and biographies of all the authors of the estates published in Polish, English, German and Czech.