Completed in 1930, Oberhausen Town Hall is a gem of brick expressionism in the industrial Ruhr Valley. Oberhausen transformed from a small steel town into a thriving centre of heavy industry, and the town’s population grew to almost 200,000. The old town hall quickly proved to be too small for such a rapidly growing city, so the mayor commissioned the construction of a new grand building. The building that was designed turned out to be one of the most interesting examples of architecture of the dying Weimar Republic.
Metropolis
In the mid-19th century, the small town of Oberhausen had a population of only 5,000. Over time, the pioneering chemical industry and huge synthetic oil production plants arrived in the steel town. In the 1920s, the population grew to over 100,000, and the town hall began to become too small for the growing bureaucracy.
However, the plans went beyond the simple construction of a new town hall, and planners even considered creating a new district based on the idea of a city as a park. Architect and urban planner Friedrich Pützer drew up plans for the new town hall before the First World War, but the post-war crisis thwarted the construction plans. Pützer died in 1922, but his student, Ludwig Freitag, returned to his teacher’s concept a few years later. Together with planner Eduard Jüngerich, the architect created a massive building stretching over 100 metres.
Brick renaissance
The whole complex is located in the middle of Grillopark, with its many terraces and staircases. A huge, heavy structure composed of several smaller cuboids emerges from this park landscape. Ribbons of windows and a consistent geometric design wind their way through almost the entire building. However, this is not pure brick expressionism, as the architects drew on many elements from the Renaissance and other styles prevalent at the time. It is worth noting that the park’s name comes from the surname of a 19th-century industrialist, and not from lovers of grilled sausages…
The monumental façade features brick attics and window sills, and beneath the heavy structure there is an arcade with characteristic limestone columns. It is porous limestone that forms most of the details in a sea of dark clinker brick. A special feature of the façade is a pseudo-risalit slightly protruding from the wall. The limestone breach consists of a balcony, two sculptures by Adam Antes and a large grid of narrow windows. This distinctive section houses the main meeting room with a view of Grillopark. Interestingly, the sculptures visible on the façade depict symbols of trade and industry.
The highest tower with a clock and almost industrial air intakes also protrudes from the main structure. A similar solution can be seen in another work of brick expressionism in Frankfurt. In turn, the low structure on the street side seems detached from the rest of the building. High buttresses, a coat of arms cartouche and an attic blend perfectly with the modern brick style and create a representative entrance.
Total art
This iconic style of the late 1920s also found its way inside with its angular geometry. A particular example of this design is the coffered ceiling of the council chamber. The first officials entered these sumptuous interiors of the modern building in 1930. Unfortunately, after several years, the town hall was bombed during Allied air raids on the Ruhr. The damage was not serious, although two sculptures disappeared from the building’s façade. The old 19th-century town hall was not so lucky and was demolished after the war.
The town hall in Oberhausen survived Nazism, bombing and a recent very costly renovation. Although it is not a textbook example of brick expressionism, its stunning modernist design fits in with the German Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art). Every detail is treated as a coherent part of the artistic whole, and the incredible geometric details emphasise the timeless beauty of Weimar Republic architecture. You can read about another, this time Dutch, work of total art HERE.
Source: Baukunst-nrw
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