Ernst Neufert

Ernst Neufert (* March 15 1900 in Freyburg an der Unstrut, † February 23rd, 1986 in Rolle Lake Geneva) was a German architect, who is known as an assistant of Walter Gropius, as a teacher and member of various organizations for standardization and mainly for his famous book Architects Data (Bauentwurfslehre).

Life

After five years of working as bricklayer, Neufert came to the school of construction (Baugewerbeschule) in Weimar. His teacher recommended him to Walter Gropius in 1919 as one of his first students of the young Bauhaus. He finishes his studies already in 1920, when travelling to Spain as a draughtsman of churches and medieval architecture. In Barcelona he meets Antonio Gaudi, whose architecture leaves deep traces in the young student. Neufert later goes for being the first scholar to defend Gaudi in Germany. After 1921 he returns to Walter Gropius and becomes soon chief-architect (Bueroschef) in one of the most prominent architects studios of the Weimar Republic.

1925 Neufert works in close collaboration with Gropius at the realization of the new Bauhaus buildings in Dessau and the completion of the so called Meisterhaeuser for Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Georg Muche.

In 1923 he meets the painter Alice Vollmer, a scholar of Georg Muche and Paul Klee, and marries her in 1924. They have four children (Peter, Christa, Ingrid and Ilas).

In 1926 he becomes teacher at the Bauhochschule in Weimar with Otto Bartning. 1929 He also builts his private home in Gelmeroda (today seat of the "Neufert Foundation" and "Neufert Box", a small museum with changing exhibitions). After its closure by the Nazi administration under Schulze Naumburg, he moves to Berlin and works in the private school for art and architecture founded by Johannes Itten, which as well is forced to closure in 1934.

1928-30 he realizes various projects, f.e. the Mensa am Philosophenweg in Jena and the Abbeanum.

Very early Neufert recognizes the possibilities for rationalization in the building processes, but also the necissity of normative rules for industrual architecture in the fast growing industrial nation.

1934 he becomes house architect of the unified glass industries in Lausitz (Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke). He designes the private home of its director Dr. Kindt (with colour glass of Charles Crodel) and various housing estates, office buildings and factories in Weißwasser, Tschernitz and Kamenz. Parallel he works for his architects data "Bauentwurfslehre. Handbuch für den Baufachmann, Bauherren, Lehrenden und Lernenden", which gets published in March 1936 and still goes for as standard publication for architects education and has been translated in 18 languages ever since.

1936 Neufert ships to New York and Taliesin to visit Frank Lloyd Wright and see his chances to settle in the US. In New York he gets notice of the enormous success of the first edition of his book and returns to Berlin to prepare the second edition. New orders by industrial companies for his studio lead to his decision to remain in Germany. 1939 he becomes representative for the standardization of the German industrial architecture and collaborates with Albert Speer on this topic. In this context he publishes his Bauordnungslehre as architects textbook for industrial purposes and rationalization.

After World War II Neufert gets appointed as professor at Darmstadt and opens his own studio in 1974. He died in 1986 in his home in Bugneaux-sur-Rolle in Switzerland.

Works

* Mensa am Philosophenweg in Jena (1928-1930)
* Abbeanum in Jena (1929-1930)
* Wohn- und Atelierhaus in Weimar-Gelmeroda (1929)
* Ernst-Neufert-Haus, Darmstadt (1952-1955), built as the "Ledigenwohnheim" (single men's hostel)
* Quelle-Grossversandhaus in Fürth (1954-1967)

Literature

* Walter Prigge (Hrsg.): "Ernst Neufert. Normierte Baukultur im 20. Jahrhundert". Edition Bauhaus Dessau. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1999 ISBN 3-593-36256-2
* Ernst Neufert: "Bauentwurfslehre. Handbuch für den Baufachmann, Bauherren, Lehrenden und Lernenden". Friedr.Vieweg & Sohn Verlag/ GWV Fachverlage GmbH, Wiesbaden 2005 ISBN 3-528-99651-X