Expressionism in architecture

Expressionism is an architectural style that appeared at the beginning of the last century; its origins lie in the "Art Nouveau" style, which originated between the twentieth and nineteenth centuries. Initially, expressionism appeared in the twenties in northwestern Europe (Austria, Germany, Denmark). In architecture, expressionism as a style is closely related to the expression of inner ideas and feelings.

The compositional solution of the structure, made in the traditions of the style, is always characterized by emotional expressiveness and often manifests itself in a grotesque deformation of the shape of the structure. A frequent phenomenon in expressionism is also a complete rejection of generally accepted architectural norms in an attempt to turn the building into a kind of giant sculpture.
In expressionism, the individuality of the architect is clearly expressed in combination with his emotional state.

A bright trace in the history of architecture was left in the first half of the last century by the Prussian masters of emotional expressionism Mendelssohn, Scharun, Gropius, Pelzig and Hering. Their traditions are now continued by Finnish architects Alvar Aalto and Eero Saarinen, Danish architect Jorn Utzon, and Japanese Kenzo Tange. The works of modern authors belong to structural or rational expressionism. There are many objects of expressionist architecture in various countries of the world.

Felix Mendelssohn
Alvar Aalto

Works of architecture made in the style of "expressionism" are characterized by the emotional expressiveness of the composition. Various techniques were used to achieve it. For example, sharp architectural forms, their grotesqueness, deformation, and even the rejection of the traditional construction of the composition and its formation in accordance with the principles of sculpture. The structures of the Expressionist era are biomorphic, the forms are likened to objects of inanimate nature.

The most striking features of expressionism were shown in the building of the Einstein Tower, the project of which was developed by the architect Erich Mendelssohn.
This astrophysical observatory, located in the science park of Potsdam,
was built in 1919-1921, when the style was just beginning to emerge. For the construction of the walls, brick was used, which was then covered with a layer of plaster. In the wavy outlines of the curved edges, there is a resemblance to a giant growth growing out of the ground.

Grundtvig Church in Copenhagen
Office building Chilehouse in Hamburg