Art Nouveau architecture in Berlin

The first courtyard of the Hackesche Höfe is an important work of Art Nouveau in Berlin – but not the only one. We explain what the Art Nouveau artists wanted and where you can discover Art Nouveau architecture in Berlin.
Art Nouveau was an international art movement that experienced its heyday between 1890 and 1910. It distanced itself from the backward-looking and overloaded historicism of the 19th century and instead wanted to create a new, contemporary style that was simpler but still beautiful. In reaction to industrial mass production, which was perceived as soulless, Art Nouveau artists wanted to merge art and life and artistically redesign everyday objects. Art should also have its place in everyday life.
Building with verve: Art Nouveau architecture
Art Nouveau architecture wasn’t going to imitate the architectural styles of past eras, as was fashionable at the end of the 19th century. Art Nouveau avoided symmetry, straight lines and right angles. Instead, nature was to be its source of inspiration. Typical features included organically curved lines, flowing shapes and floral ornaments. There were, however, different trends within the movement, and geometric, minimalist and modern elements can also be found.
At the time, Art Nouveau architects used new materials such as glass, steel and iron for their innovative designs. Glass façades, elegant metal decorations and filigree window constructions were characteristic features of Art Nouveau. Buildings were intended to be functional and reflect their function in their design. Art was to be harmoniously integrated into the architecture. Ornamentation and eleborate details were seen not just as decoration, but as an integral part of the buildings.

Art Nouveau in Berlin
In the imperial capital of Berlin, the splendor of the imperial era dominated at the end of the 19th century. The new style was not able to establish itself here as strongly as in Vienna, Riga or Prague, for example. However, Art Nouveau also left its mark in Berlin until the First World War. Significant examples of Art Nouveau architecture were created here. Berlin Art Nouveau was more restrained, less playful and more ornamental than elsewhere. Practicality took center stage. Some buildings from this era were destroyed in the Second World War – other impressive buildings have survived to this day, most notably the first courtyard of the Hackesche Höfe.

The Hackesche Höfe
From 1905, a large, interconnected courtyard area was built on Hackescher Markt with mixed residential, commercial and gastronomic uses: the Hackesche Höfe. In order to attract the attention of tenants and customers in the booming Berlin of the turn of the century and to lure visitors to the entertainment centers in the first courtyard,
the façades were to be given a modern and eye-catching design. This is where the self-made architect, designer and art theorist August Endell came in.

August Endell
August Endell (1871-1925) was an all-round talent. As an autodidact, he designed furniture, apartments and buildings. He made a name for himself as an art theorist and co-published the Berlin Art Nouveau magazine Pan.
In 1897/1898, he created a stir with his design of the Munich photo studio “Elvira”: The large-scale orament on its façade, reminiscent of a dragon, today is considered the first-ever abstract work of art. A Berlin government building officer referred to Endell as “the anarchists’ dynamite.”

Endell and the first courtyard
In 1906, Endell created a unique work of art in the first courtyard of the Hackesche Höfe. Bricks glazed in different colors and 40 different window shapes break up the outlines of the buildings, the façade gains plasticity and rhythmic, undulating patterns set it in motion. A courtyard becomes an experience.
In the first courtyard, Endell not only designed the façades, but also the stairwells, two ballrooms in the transverse building (now the Chamäleon Theater and the cinema), a small ballroom on the ground floor (now the flagship store of watch manufacturer Askania), a restaurant at the entrance on Rosenthaler Straße (now the Hackescher Hof restaurant) and the restaurant in the transverse building (now the Oxymoron restaurant). The hall of the Chamäleon Theater, the staircase to the theater and cinema and the small ballroom were faithfully restored at the turn of the millennium. Endell's signature style still characterizes the image of the courtyards today.

Other buildings by August Endell in Berlin
In 1906/1907, the house at Steinplatz, Uhlandstraße 197 in Berlin-Charlottenburg was built according to Endell's plans. Originally planned as an apartment building, it was later used as a hotel and a retirement home. After a period of vacancy and decay, it was restored and reopened as a hotel in 2013.
Here too, Endell created a lively and animated façade with rounded window shapes and floral and geometric stucco decorations. The artistic design of the entrance and the balcony above are particularly eye-catching. The organic decorations, reminiscent of natural motifs, are typical of Endell and the Art Nouveau style. However, Endell did not want to evoke any figurative associations or depict any specific plants or animals.
In 1907, shoe manufacturer Salamander commissioned Endell to design its shops. The shoe store designed by Endell in Berlin's Potsdamer Straße in 1910/1911 is unfortunately no longer preserved today.
In 1911/1912, the trotting race track in Berlin-Mariendorf was built according to Endell's plans in collaboration with an architect. Endell shaped the appearance of the Art Nouveau buildings. During the Second World War, the teahouse, a pavilion with a curved terrace and the grandstand building were destroyed. However, a grandstand designed by Endell was preserved and is now a listed building.

The debut of a theater architect: the Hebbel Theater
The Hebbel Theater, built in 1907 and 1908, was the first work of architect Oskar Kaufmann.The unique Art Nouveau building established his fame as a master theater builder. In Berlin alone, six more theaters were later built according to his plans.
The available plot of land only allowed for a narrow building. Kaufmann emphasized the verticality of the building with natural stone blocks that reach almost to the gable. The concentrated and compact design of the main façade was innovative at the time. Kaufmann dispensed with ostentatious building decoration and ornamentation typical of Art Nouveau; the decoration of the façades is very minimalist.
In his early days, Oskar Kaufmann had initially worked as an interior decorator and therefore attached great importance to the design of the indoor spaces. The entrance hall, cloakrooms and corridors are lined with wood. The auditorium is also wood-paneled throughout, creating a uniform spatial impression. The curved tiers of the auditorium are typical of Kaufmann and the Art Nouveau style.
Since 2003, the Hebbel Theater has been one of the venues of the Kreuzberg ‘HAU’ theater.

The former Royal District and Local Court in Littenstraße near Alexanderplatz was completed between 1896 and 1904.
It was one of the largest buildings in Berlin at the time and, like other palaces of justice at the time, was designed in the neo-baroque style. From 1900, the architect Otto Schmalz was in charge of the construction work and changed its appearance significantly in the direction of Art Nouveau – very unusual for state buildings.
The architectural highlight of the building is the entrance hall, which is over 30 meters high. The dynamic overall impression of the hall with its curved twin spiral staircases, the design of the banisters and the golden decorative elements on the ceiling are characterized by Art Nouveau. The hall appears lively and playful.
The building was damaged during the Second World War and part of it was demolished during the GDR era. It is now a listed building and has been extensively reconstructed.
Fairy-tale castle in Zehlendorf: Mexikoplatz railway station
One of the most beautiful railway stations in Berlin and an outstanding example of Art Nouveau architecture is located far from the city center on Mexikoplatz in Zehlendorf.
The building with its striking dome was constructed between 1902 and 1904 by the architectural firm Hart & Lesser.
Not only were Art Nouveau decorations added to the building, but Art Nouveau also characterizes the building itself with its sweeping curves. Large windows provide natural light in the interior. The dome, small towers and dormers in the roof make the building look playful, almost like a small fairy-tale castle. This impression was reinforced until the 1950s by a filigree water tower that flanked the railway station. The entrance hall with its glass dome is particularly impressive and ‘Art Nouveau-ish.’
After the station and the S-Bahn line operated by the GDR Reichsbahn were shut down between 1980 and 1984, the station was restored and reopened in 1985. It is a listed building.

Want to see more Art Nouveau in Berlin? The Bröhan Museum in Berlin-Charlottenburg has an important Art Nouveau collection and provides a representative overview of the art of this era.
However, the building itself is not part of the Art Nouveau architecture; it was built much earlier in the neo-classical style as barracks for the Charlottenburg Palace opposite.