13-07-06 Essay AR Joris Korbee 1518496

Perspectives of the post-modern Neue Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart
Totalitarian, fascistic architecture or new urban architecture?
Joris Korbee 1518496
Abstract
In this essay I will discuss the change in thinking about the architecture in the end of the
seventies in Germany. An important building in that time was the Neue Staatsgalerie in
Stuttgart designed by James Stirling. With the design of the Neue Staatsgalerie, Stirling made
a different statement than the modern statement that was usually at that time. In this essay I
point out the views of both opponents and supporters of the new post-modern style. Apart
from the -in my opinion - strange formal language of the Staatsgalerie, both the opponents as
the supporters have some good arguments and some arguments that can be easily rejected
about the building and the (post)modern style. It was obvious that the modernists had some
difficulties with the new post-modern approach and struggled to let go their own style and
modern ideological thoughts. Modernists ideological thinking of, for example, democratic
architecture was rejected by the context thinking of the postmodernists.
At the same time the second world war was still in German architects their
memory. For the modernists, the classical style was related to Nazi architecture (Rosenfeld,
1997, p. 215). There was much criticism on the classic elements Stirling used for his design,
especially because the museum was one of the important buildings of the reconstruction of the
bombed Stuttgart.
Supporters of the design saw the museum as an urban building. According to the supporters,
by using classical elements together with modern elements, the design is a complement to the
existing Staatsgalerie and the city but the building had also its own identity as a playful
museum (J. Stirling & Wilford, 1994, p. 252).
Introduction
In 1974 a competition was held for the extension of the Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart. The
competition was won by the British architects James Stirling and James Gowan. Their design
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was remarkable because it was not in the popular modern style but used elements from the
classicism. The Staatsgalerie addressed many issues that were in the air at the time: context,
collage, typology, ornament, classism and made it winks towards postmodernism (Curtis,
1996, p. 608). Stirling used elements and ideas from classical examples. For example, the
Altes museum in Berlin, designed by Schinkel was the main source of inspiration for the
Neue Staatsgalerie.
Stirling used the configuration of the Altes museum in a modern way and combines this style
with new, more modern elements. This juxtaposition of styles, the post-modernism, was
criticized because it was not in line with the ideas of the modernists. The representation of the
Neue Staatsgalerie was debatable. Some critics loved it (“Stirlings Neue Staatsgalerie, (…) is
an outstanding craftsmanship, polished sandstone surfaces and striking variegation.” (Watkin,
2008, p. 665)) and some people didn’t (“A strangely mixed and conflictive design.”
(Frampton, 2007, p. 309)). But apart from the representation of the design, the thinking about
architecture in that time changed. In this essay the different positions about the design are
exposed and sometimes refuted.
Modern versus Post-modern; democratic versus totalitarian?
In 1977 the day-to day modern style was the standard to new building designs in West
Germany (Rosenfeld, 1997, p. 193). The design of the Neue Staatsgalerie by James Stirling
was one of the first buildings not in the modernist style but used historic architectural
elements and cited elements of the traditional museum (Van den Hevel, 2013, p. 197). The
winning of the competition for the Neue Staatgalerie was not only remarkable because
Stirling defeated Germany’s most prominent modernist architect Günter Behnisch, but was
also remarkable because of the form of Stirling’s design itself (Rosenfeld, 1997, p. 193).
Stirling used elements of the classical style and elements of the modern style. Later the
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building became the emblem of postmodernism. There was much criticism on this new way of
designing. Critics quoted the design as “an ironic, demonumentalized version of Schinkel’s
famous Altes Museum in Berlin, displaying a doubly coded mix of populist and elite motifs”
(Mendini, 1984, p. 9). The mixture of the “renaissance arched windows”, “Doric column”
and “Egyptian cornice” with a “garish pink and blue constructivist steel I beam” is too much
according to the critics and the style is not following the fundamental concepts of the modern
architecture as non-determinism, light weight, open, democratic and non-offending (J.
Stirling & Wilford, 1994, p. 252). The critics were already grunge that a foreign architect was
chosen above a national architect for such an important building but the formal representation
of Stirling’s design was too much for them. A group of modern architects led by the architects
Frei Otto and Günter Behnisch quote the design as totalitarian and inhuman and even as a
Nazi Monument (Ibid).
The Neue Staatsgalerie as a Nazi monument?
After the second world war, many Germans equate the classical style and classical forms with
Nazi symbolism (Wise, 1998, p. 70). The modernists refrain from using the classical style.
According to the modernists, Nazi architecture could not be historicized. If you do this, the
buildings are separated from their ideological content and are you normalizing what was
historically exceptional (Rosenfeld, 1997, p. 215). On other words, the meaning of the
historical elements is lost and because of this the new historical building has no meaningful
element anymore only that it reminds of the Nazi period. Behnisch accused Stirling of having
fascist tendencies because the design involved stone facades and quotations from the classical
past. Behnisch explains that the Neue Staatsgalerie is not built for a free and democratic
society but is a project as purely formal architecture, with shapes borrowed from old
architecture without keeping the meaningful elements. The building has no identity anymore.
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Frei Otto criticized the design as brutalistic, a kind of fortress architecture and a
demonstration of power. “20 years ago, Stirling’s draft -dismissed as fascist- would have
been unthinkable” (Ibid, p. 193).
The Neue Staatsgalerie as a urban building and a landmark in the city.
Supporters of the design of the Neue Staatsgalerie emphasized both the urban and the
architectural qualities of the project. According to the supporters it was better to use historical
elements in a smart way than in a unintellectual way modernists often do. “A compositional
method that can master eclecticism is difficult to find: Stirling at last offers us one” writes
Peter Cook in the Architectural Review in March 1983 (J. Stirling & Wilford, 1994, p.
253). Supporters of the design counter the ideological ideas of a democratic building. What is
democratic architecture and does democratic architecture even exist, asks professor Duttman
(Ibid, p. 252). With this question, the ideological ideas of the modernists are discredited and
more people don’t belief anymore in the thoughts of the modernists. Modern architects belief
in the link between architectural form and political content. According to the modernists, the
classical style us an authoritarian style and the modern style a democratic one. Nowadays
most people don’t accept this belief anymore. It is no longer the case that neoclassical form,
materials and comparisons are authoritarian and those of the modernist style are democratic
(Rosenfeld, 1997, p. 215).
Stirling describes the design of the Neue Staatsgalerie as complex as urbanism. According to
Stirling, by the formal typologies and planning strategies, the terms Fascism and
totalitarianism were irrelevant. It was just too easy to put a label on his project that is far more
complex than the critics see it (J. Stirling & Wilford, 1994, p. 252). Stirling said that it was
not about style but about making a connection, an urban building. Not only should the
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building connect to the city but also with the Altes Galerie, the old part of the museum
standing next to the new design.
Stirling wanted to make a real museum: “I’d like the visitor to feel it looks like a museum”
said Stirling (James Stirling, 1984, p. 207). Therefore Stirling combined traditional and new
elements in one design. Stirling used historic elements in a new way to create the feeling of a
museum in a new way. Stirling referred hereby to Schinkel’s Altes museum as a prototype for
the nineteenth-century museum. Stirling mentioned the organization and the monumentalism
of the building as an appealing factor. Next to the historic classical elements in the Neue
Staatsgalerie, Stirling used assemblage of constructivist canopies which define a hierarchy of
the entrances and other important parts of the building.
According to Stirling it is essential for a city to have a landmark. “A city without monuments
would be no place at all”(Ibid). For Stirling, monumentalism has nothing to do with size or
style but has to do with presence of the building. For Stuttgart it was important that the city
got a new landmark. According to Stirling, historically the quality of the art in the
architecture is remembered as the significant element. In the modern architecture the
sociological, functional and real estate aspects became more and more important. The modern
architecture got commercial standards. Stirling believes that the primary objective is for a
building to appear appropriate in their context. Not working in an abstract way, like the
modernists do, but thinking about the context and the building. “Working in the abstract
vocabulary of modern architecture has become repetitive, simplistic and too narrowly
confining and I, for one, welcome the passing of the revolutionary phase of modern
movement.” (Ibid, p. 209) Stirling hopes with the design of the Neue Staatsgalerie to
accomplish this thought and to support the monumental and informal and the traditional and
high tech.
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Stirling knew that it was no longer acceptable to use classicism in a straight noncompromising way. Therefore he used the classical elements in a new way. For example he
used the central dome in Schinkel’s Altes museum in the design of the Neue Staatsgalerie.
But instead of using the dome as a central, closed space, he replaced the dome with a
nonspace, a void (Cannon-Brokkes, 1984). According to Stirling the plan of the Neue
Staatsgalerie is “axial but ‘frequently compromised’. The casually monumental is diminished
by the deliberately informal” (James Stirling, 1984, p. 207). Stirling pointed out the
importance of the boulevard in front of the building. Stirling said that the façade of the
building, with the slopes and routing reflects the walking movement . When you enter the
building, you will see the juxtaposition of the different styles: the heavy stone walls contrast
with the highly coloured metal assemblies which point out the important routing elements in
the building. The routing, derived from the idea of route architectural, a concept by Le
Corbusier, creates picturesque moments and surprising contrasting compositions (Komossa,
2013, p. 77). This consists with the idea of Stirling that today the museum is not only an
“edifying institution” but also a “place of distraction and amusement” (Frampton, 2007, p.
309). According to Peter Cook the reason that Stirling creates more ‘playful’ architecture is
because he became bored of all the ‘clever structures’(J. Stirling & Wilford, 1994, p. 253).
But Stirling knows that too playful and ‘trick piled to upon trick’ architecture would be
catastrophic. Therefore the essentials of the design are straight forward. The planning of the
building is simple. The complexity of the building lays in the context and the urbanism.
Stuttgart was bombed and even more destroyed by the post-war reconstruction. An important
aspect of the competition was the preservation of the old Staatsgalerie (James Stirling, 1984,
p. 205). Stirling begins to create the new town (that’s how he called the project). “The
solution is more concerned with the project of gradual unfolding than stylized development”
(Ibid, p.254). The design is built on a natural slope and connects the lower public floor to the
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upper public floor through a whole range of internal plazas, each with their own identity. “The
route runs straight through the museum and links the front with the rear and at the same time,
intersects with the internal routes of the museum without any conflicts.” (Van Gameren, 2013,
p. 130).
Conclusion
There are two major parties who have an opinion on the new architectural style in the
seventies and on the design of the Neue Staatsgalerie. Modernists criticize the design on the
juxtaposition of the classical style with the modern style. For modernists the classical style in
Germany is equivalent to Nazi architecture. According to the modernists, the design of the
Neue Staatsgalerie is a totalitarian, inhuman design with fascist architecture. Instead of a
democratic, light-weight and open building, the design was a creation which reminded the
modernists of the second world war.
Supporters of the design emphasized both the urban and the architectural qualities and
criticized the modernist idea of a ‘democratic building’. Does a democratic building even
exist? Their opinion is that modernist use the context in an non-intellectual way.
The opinion of Stirling is that the design is far more complex to just be labeled as
totalitarian of fascism architecture. For the architect the building has to ‘feel’ like a museum.
Next to the classical elements that borrow their identity from old museums Stirling used new
colourful modern elements to strengthen the identity of the museum. For Stirling one
essential element for a city is that the city has a landmark. “Without monuments the city is no
place at all.”(James Stirling, 1984, p. 207) The Neue Staatsgalerie is not a monument
because of the size or style but because of the presence of the building. The building is a
juxtaposition of monumental and informal, and of the traditional and high tech. Another
reason that Stirling used the classical elements, apart from creating a identity as a museum,
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is to make the building a complement on the old Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart. But Stirling didn’t
just copy the classic style but used the classical elements in a new way. In addition he use new
modern elements to give some parts of the museum some hierarchy (for example the
entrances), give the museum an identity in the city and make the museum a bit more playful.
Stirling: “the building is also a place of distraction and amusement” (James Stirling, 1984, p.
205).
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Discussion
This essay appoints the different positions taken in the architectural thinking of the postmodern style and the design of the Neue Staatsgalerie. For all the opinions there is something
to say with and against. I think, for example, that the modernists have a point that it is a
strange choice to make a (half)classicistic design in a city where the Nazi history is still
tangible. On the other hand it is maybe a little overreacting to call all the classicist
architecture Nazi architecture and have the opinion that you should forbid to build new
buildings in the classical style. Also the modernists’ point that the Neue Staatsgalerie is not a
democratic building is easily refuted. (what is a democratic building and does it exists?)
The representation of the design with the classical elements and the constructive new bright
coloured elements is in my opinion a unsuccessful juxtaposition. In my opinion the classical
elements are too much simplified to ‘look classical in a modern way’. Also the ‘modern’
elements (elements that are nowadays not modern anymore), are in my opinion to massive
designed (to banal) and lack of detailing and subtleness. Interesting is that Stirling wanted to
create timeless architecture but that the building now looks rather dated than timeless (Van
Gameren, 2013, p. 130). I like that the building is not a ‘ufo’ but that the building is in a way
related to the context. There are enough examples of modern buildings standing in a city with
no relation at all with the context. Stirling has thought about how the museum can work in the
city and with the old museum. Question however is if the Neue Staatgalerie is succeeded in
this…
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Used literature:
Cannon-Brokkes, P. (1984). The Post-Modern Art Gallery Comes of Age: James Stirling and
the Neue Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart. The InternationalJournal of Museum Management
and Curatorship, 3, 159-181.
Curtis, W. J. R. (1996). Modern architecture since 1900. London: Phaidon Press Limited.
Frampton, K. (2007). Modern Architecture; A Critical History. London: Thames & Hudson
Ltd.
Komossa, S. (2013). Who's afraid of red, yellow and blue?; Colour and identity in
architectural desing. In D. Van den Hevel & S. Komossa (Eds.), Delft Lecture series
on architectural design (pp. 178-199). Delft: TU Delft.
Mendini, A. (1984). Colloquio con James Stirling. Domus, 51(1).
Rosenfeld, G. D. (1997). The Architects' Debate: Architectural Discourse and the Memory of
Nazism in the Federal Republic of Germany, 1977–1997. History and Memory,
9(1/2), 189-225.
Stirling, J. (1984). The Monumentally Informal. In T. Avermaete, K. Havik & H. Teerds
(Eds.), Architectural Positions (pp. 203-210). Amsterdam: SUN Publishers.
Stirling, J., & Wilford, M. (1994). 1977/83 Staatsgalerie New Building and Chamber Theater
James Stirling, Michael Wilford and Associates; buildings and projects 1975-1992
(pp. 252-260). London: Thames & Hudson.
Van den Hevel, D. (2013). As found aesthetics; Notes on the formation of the context debate
in architecture. In D. Van den Hevel & S. Komossa (Eds.), Delft Lecture series on
architectural design (pp. 178-199). Delft: TU Delft.
Van Gameren, D. (2013). Revisions of space; Positioning and repositioning space in and
around buildings. In D. Van den Hevel & S. Komossa (Eds.), Delft Lecture series on
architectural design (pp. 178-199). Delft: TU Delft.
Vidler, A. (1989). Losing Face: Notes on the modern museum. Assemblag, 9, 40-57.
Watkin, D. (2008). De westerse architecrtuur; Een geschiedenis. (A history of Western
Architecture.). Nijmegen: SUN.
Wise, M. Z. (1998). Capital dilemma: Germany's search for a new architecture of
democracy. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Extra information on the article of Stirling and Wilford: Staatsgalerie New Building and Chamber
Theater:
This chapter in the late projects of Stirling book about the Neue Staatsgalerie contains four different section
written by four different writers.
The first section is a letter in Architectural Design 9-10-77 whiten by Margret Maier-Rechert and is about the
opponents and supporters of the design made by Stirling. The article contains the letters from the critics where
they call the design a totalitarian and fascist design and refutations from supporters of the design where they
attack the modernists and the modern approach.
The second article is from Architectural Review, march 1983, write by Peter Cook. He tries to figure out why
Stirling made the design and what was playing in his head.
The third article is an interview on site at the Staatgalerie from RIBA Journal, written by Stephen Games,
December 1980. Gamers talks with a foreman and a building about the design of Stirling. (article is placed in
Architect’s Journal, 22 December 1982).
The last article is made by the architect and describes the buildings elements, routing and representation.
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Figuur 1 Exterior of the Neue Staatsgalerie
Figuur 2 Plan Neue Staatsgalerie by Stirling
Figuur 3 Plan Altes Museum in Berlin by Schinkel.
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Figuur 4 The 'Dome' in the Neue Staatsgalerie
Figuur 5 Interior of the Neue Staatsgalerie
Figuur 6 Old Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart
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