This article from ArtFuse.org discusses the life and career of the architect who designed the Philharmonie, Hans Scharoun, a relatively unknown architect outside of the field of architecture historians. That is until an exhibit , curated by Eva Maria Barkhofen and titled Hans Scharoun: Architect and Visionary , traveled around the northeast last summer to help foster knowledge about a man who is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the modernist architecture movement.
One aspect of Scharoun's life that has confused historians for years has been his relationship to the Nazi regime. While it is true that he, unlike many of his friends and colleagues, remained in Germany from 1933 on through WWII, it is unclear exactly what his involvement entailed. What is clear however is that , at least in his design choices , he was decidedly anti-Nazi; his "modest approach emphasized designing buildings that fit in with their surroundings, becoming parts of a decentralized urban landscape. This was in sharp contrast to the monumentally overscaled environments that had dominated Berlin planning and buildings under Albert Speer and the Nazis."
In addition to including many images and plans of the various buildings that Scharoun designed, the exhibit also has several of Scharoun's watercolor paintings (such as the one below which he painted in 1919 - 23). As the author of the article states "Scharoun’s paintings are bold and powerfully gestural." These paintings serve as proof that not only did this modernist flair extend to his architectural career but it was also the aesthetic he preferred.
One aspect of Scharoun's life that has confused historians for years has been his relationship to the Nazi regime. While it is true that he, unlike many of his friends and colleagues, remained in Germany from 1933 on through WWII, it is unclear exactly what his involvement entailed. What is clear however is that , at least in his design choices , he was decidedly anti-Nazi; his "modest approach emphasized designing buildings that fit in with their surroundings, becoming parts of a decentralized urban landscape. This was in sharp contrast to the monumentally overscaled environments that had dominated Berlin planning and buildings under Albert Speer and the Nazis."
In addition to including many images and plans of the various buildings that Scharoun designed, the exhibit also has several of Scharoun's watercolor paintings (such as the one below which he painted in 1919 - 23). As the author of the article states "Scharoun’s paintings are bold and powerfully gestural." These paintings serve as proof that not only did this modernist flair extend to his architectural career but it was also the aesthetic he preferred.