The Stadtmuseum in Dresden opened an exhibition on Saturday dedicated to the history of prefabricated panel construction in Germany. The exhibition "Platte Ost/West - Wohnen und Bauen in Großtafelbauweise" (Panel East/West - Living and Building in Large-Panel Construction) presents the development of this method from 1945 to the present day, juxtaposing examples from eastern and western federal states. Through models, photographs, and accounts from residents of districts in Dresden and Cologne, the exhibition challenges the stereotype that associates "Plattenbau" exclusively with the GDR.
Exhibition on Prefabricated Panel Construction
The Stadtmuseum in Dresden is presenting the exhibition "Platte Ost/West - Wohnen und Bauen in Großtafelbauweise," which opened on Saturday. The exhibition has a supra-regional character, showing the development of prefabricated construction across all of Germany, not only in the territories of the former GDR.
Retrospective from 1945
The exhibition presents the phases of large-panel construction from the end of World War II to the present day. Models, photographs, plans have been gathered, and an artistic spatial installation was created. The curators also raise questions about the future of modular serial construction.
Perspective of Residents and Architects
The exhibition includes interviews with residents of prefabricated blocks, conducted in the Prohlis district in Dresden and in Chorweiler in Cologne, among other places. Architects involved in post-war construction projects also share their memories, adding a personal and social dimension to the exhibition.
An exhibition dedicated to prefabricated panel architecture, commonly known as "Plattenbau," has opened in Dresden, aiming to break its stereotypical perception as solely a legacy of the German Democratic Republic. The exhibition at the Stadtmuseum, titled "Platte Ost/West - Wohnen und Bauen in Großtafelbauweise," juxtaposes examples of prefabricated construction from eastern and western federal states, highlighting its prevalence across all of Germany. The exhibition offers a retrospective overview of this construction method, presenting its developmental phases from 1945. Curators utilized contemporary models, historical photographs, archival plans, and a specially created art installation for this purpose. By presenting the history of large-panel construction, the exhibition also raises questions about its future and the potential of modular, serial construction in the context of contemporary housing challenges. After the destruction of World War II, many European countries, both in the Eastern and Western blocs, faced a huge housing deficit. Large-scale prefabrication technology, already developed earlier, became the answer to the urgent need for fast, cheap, and mass construction. While in the GDR it took the form of ubiquitous large-panel housing estates (e.g., the WBS 70 series), numerous prefabricated projects were also implemented in West Germany, often as part of social programs or the reconstruction of destroyed cities. An important element of the exhibition are the accounts of the direct users of these spaces. Interviews were collected with residents of two characteristic districts: Prohlis in Dresden (former GDR) and Chorweiler in Cologne (former West Germany). Their experiences and the memories of architects involved in these projects give the exhibition an anthropological and social dimension, going beyond purely architectural analysis. The exhibition is educational and popularizing in nature, aiming to broaden knowledge about a common, yet often underappreciated or stigmatized, element of the German urban landscape.