Brick Expressionism - Style

Style

Brick Expressionism developed at the same time as the "New Objectivity" of Bauhaus architecture. But whereas the Bauhaus architects argued for the removal of all decorative elements (ornaments), expressionist architects developed a distinctive form or ornamentation, often using rough, angular or pointy elements. They were meant to express the dynamic of the period, its intensity and tension.

The most important building materials were the eponymous bricks and clinker bricks. Hard-fired clinker was very fashionable, especially for facades. That material was especially well adapted to the difficult environmental requirements of industrial buildings, particularly in the Ruhr area. Its characteristic rough surface and rich variety of colours, from brown via red to purple, also contributed to the material's popularity.

A striking feature of Brick Expressionism is the liveliness of its facades, achieved purely through the deliberate setting of bricks in patterns. This helped to enliven large, otherwise monotonous, walls. In some cases, even brick wasters (pieces that had been damaged during firing, or had been fired too long, or not long enough, leading to uneven or undesired colouring) were used as decorative elements, exploiting their individual appearance. The angular bricks were combined in various arrangements, creating a rich ornamental repertoire, including specific forms of sculpture. Horizontal brick courses that alternate between protruding and being slightly recessed are another common feature, e.g. on the Hans-Sachs-Haus in Gelsenkirchen (1927).

The facade designs were enhanced by the use of architectural sculpture, made of clinker bricks or ceramics. A well-known representative of this form of art was Richard Kuöhl. Ernst Barlach also created clinker statues, such as the frieze Gemeinschaft der Heiligen ("community of saints") on St. Catherine's in Lübeck (completed by Gerhard Marcks).

Occasionally, elements from other architectural styles were referenced, translated into the brick repertoire of forms. For example, Fritz Höger's Chilehaus in Hamburg is dominated by Art Déco aesthetics. The Anzeigerhochhaus in Hanover quotes oriental architecture. But Brick Expressionism also created its very own, often quite idiosyncratic forms, such as Parabola Churches (Parabel-Kirchen), e.g. the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche at Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf.