Augsburg: Birkenhof

1927 – 1928

Architect: Otto Holzer

Schillstraße 80a-m, Stralsunder Straße, Palmstraße, Linke Brandstraße, Augsburg-Lechhausen, Germany

The four-story, square residential complex, which features passageways along the central axes of the east and west wings and store fixtures at the corners, was built between 1927 and 1928 according to plans by Otto Holzer, Augsburg’s city building director.

Holzer was a building councilor in Fürth from 1901, a city building councilor in Augsburg from 1911, and the head building director from 1913.

Birkenhof

The Birkenhof was built as part of the city of Augsburg‘s 1927 housing program for homeless and priority-seeking individuals.

The apartments had to be as simple and functional as possible, with furnishings corresponding to the expected rental income.

The Birkenhof, located in the Lechhausen district, comprises 113 apartments, ranging from 31 to 60 square meters in size.

The four-story residential complex is enclosed on four sides and built as a perimeter block. The mid-axial towers of the east and west wings are elevated by an additional story.

The staircases behind the doorways on the side wings have long windows running over three stories.

Courtyard

With its leafy, spacious inner courtyard, the Birkenhof provides usable recreational space, meeting the demands of 1920s architecture for light and air in residential construction.

Accessible only through the portals of the east and west wings, the courtyard spans 1,850 square meters.

Roof and Facade

From the exterior, the roof appears flat, but from the interior courtyard, it is revealed to be a monopitch roof.

The façade is adorned with a single-headed eagle with outstretched wings bearing a plaque inscribed with the year of construction, 1928, indicating the city of Augsburg’s ownership of the building.

Renovation

The residential complex is a listed building. Between 2011 and 2013, it underwent a general renovation in accordance with the preservation order.