Berlin modernists: Onkel Toms Hütte

From 1900 onwards Zehlendorf on the edge of the Grunewald southwest of Berlin developed into a wealthy suburb with small and large villa's on large to medium sized plots. When Zehlendorf and the large forest of Grunewald (litterally: Green Wood) were joined with Berlin in 1920 to become part of Greater Berlin it was assigned to be borough 10 (Stadtbezirk 10). In 1885 a local entrepreneur named Thomas opened a public house on the edge of the Grunewald forest on a forest road that connected the Königsallee (Kings Avenue) with the centre of Zehlendorf. In his beer garden he constructed several shelters for the visiting public that quickly became known as Thoms Hutten (Tom's cabins). Soon after the name of the establishment was changed into Onkel Toms Hütte after Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin of 1852.

Between 1926 and 1932 a large social housing estate was built on the edge of Zehlendorf. It was situated along the planned underground extension from the Central Line (Stamstrecke) to Krumme Lanke on the edge of Zehlendorf and the Grunewald forest. The development was planned as part of a series of new suburbs that would encircle the city of Berlin along the lines of the Ebenezer Howard diagram for Garden Cities.

Bruno Taut drew the plans for this new suburban satellite. He had been appointed chief architect and planner at the GEHAG, the largest housing cooperative in Berlin in 1924 and had previously designed the well received Huffeisensiedlung (Horseshoe Estate). Taut quickly started working on several new housing estates after his appointment. The estate at Onkel Toms Hütte was also financed and planned by the GEHAG (Gemeinnützigen Heimstätten-, Spar- und Bau-Aktiengesellschaft, best translated as the non-profit, community oriented, joint stock company for homes, savings and building). This organisation is still the owner of this estate (albeit under its new name of Deutsche-Wohnen-Gruppe).  

Taut decided not to pursue the existing planes of the district but to completely redesign the layout, first along the lines of Unwineske streetscapes combined with a so-called Waldsiedlung and later along the lines of the principles of Neues Bauen (New Objectivity in English although the literal translation 'new way of building' is more apt). In total 1100 apartments and 800 family houses were planned and built on the site that was mostly forest. The development was divided amongst the architects Bruno Taut (northern section), Otto Rudolf Salvisberg (southern section) and Hugo Häring (eastern section). The pines on the site were retained between the buildings, making for a pleasant living environment and giving the development a continued forest-feel. In 1927 as Taut's houses are being built, the borough approves plans for the Siedlung am Fischtalgrund on the edge of Onkel Toms Hütte. This development would be built in a traditionalist style however and runs along the edge of the Fischtal (Fish Valley).

In 1929 the new underground station on the U3, designed by Alfred Grenander, was completed and work started on the realisation of new homes north of the wide thoroughfare Argentinischen Allee (Argentine Avenue). The houses in this Hochsitzviertel were designed by Taut. He later also designed the Escherhauserviertel, with its parallel terraces (not dissimilar to Dammerstock). The station building was enlarged by Salvisberg and strip malls with housing were added on either side (1931), thus better incorporating the building in the bold, long facades that follow the curved thoroughfare. The clearly modernist placement of the apartment blocks along Argentine Avenue shows the shift in design concept. This is also evident in the last portion of the development designed by Taut: the Riemeisterviertel directly north of the underground station that consists of large apartment blocks set within pre-existing woodland.

The Uncle Tom's Cabin Estate consist of a modernist core built in several phases along modernist stylistic principles (shown in dark grey). Along the edges several traditionalist neighbourhoods were developed. These houses have pitched instead of flat roofs and often also have window shutters.The Fischtalgrund development (F) along the Fischtal (f) is the oldest. The Quermatensiedlung (Q) and Sprungschanzsiedlung (S) both date from after 1935. The underground station Onkel Toms Hütte (U) lies at the heart of the estate.

In the first building phase that conforms to Unwineske principles of placement of buildings along the street and spatial conventions of the Garden City Movement, a mix of family houses in often long terraces and apartments in sculptural blocks was realised. The urban design moved towards New Objectivity and the free placement of building with a relation to neighbouring buildings or the adjacent space but not the functional accessibility. The first phase south of the underground station also differ in density from the later building phases.

On both sides of Argentine Avenue the social housing estate of Onkel Toms Hütte was developed between 1926 and 1932.