Berlin Zeppelinstraße Housing Estate

Zeppelinstrasse Estate, 1926–1927. Architect: Richard Ermisch. Photo: Daniela Christmann

1926 – 1927

Architect: Richard Ermisch

Zeppelinstrasse 12–110, Buschhüttener Weg 1–2, Falkenseer Chaussee 26–32 und 260–265, Merziger Strasse 8–9, Pirmasenser Strasse 7 und 20–22, Berlin-Spandau, Germany

Housing Estate Zeppelinstrasse

The Zeppelinstrasse housing estate in Berlin-Spandau was built between 1926 and 1927 according to plans by Richard Ermisch on behalf of Gemeinnützige Baugesellschaft Adamstraße mbH (a non-profit construction company).

It extends for about one kilometer from north to south along Zeppelinstraße around the intersection with Falkenseer Chaussee.

The housing estate consists of 500 small apartments and a few store units.

Design

The main design motif of the mostly 3‑story residential buildings is formed by colorful details with jagged edges, prismatic street corners, protruding pointed oriels, angular broken links, loggias placed over corners and zigzag motifs.

The four tower-like corner buildings at the intersection of Zeppelinstrasse and Falkenseer Chaussee received crownings in the form of a dome and a peak, covered with light and dark slate.

Expressionism

The estate is a significant example of expressionism in architecture.

Swinging, curved side walls are connected with zigzag bands, brick patterns and colorful triangular dormers.

While the houses on Zeppelinstrasse and Falkenseer Chausee are block-edge constructions, the later added buildings on Germersheimer Weg and Germersheimer Platz are broken up by staggered rows of houses.