Luisenhof, social housing provision for union members at the Krupp Works

The Siedlung Luisenhof I comprises of 3 blocks of apartments set in communal gardens. Here an impression from an adjoining street where the gap between the first and second block are clearly visible. A walking path runs in between giving access to the courtyard gardens within.

Each block has a similar architectural expression on the outside of the complex, especially around the entrances and hanging widow bays. The corner of each block has a different detail, like for instance the third block with a high standing bay across all floors much like a small tower.

The inside is altogether less decorative as this is the reserve of the inhabitants. All apartments of the northern block look out over the central garden court that's laid to grass with trees and shrubs planted around. The strong horizontal lines of the design are broken up by colour blocking vertically.

All around the outside a wide green verge has been created to emphasise the insular character of this complex of social housing in relation to the surrounding housing developed for private landlords. These public gardens are mostly laid to lawn with some large trees. Only where a narrow street cuts through the complex do the building adjoin the pavement directly.

The street that separates blocks 1 and 2 isn't accessible for motorised traffic, only for pedestrians. This means that the space for the pavements have been plated with grass and hedges creating a much more pleasant feel.

The garden courts of blocks 1 and two open onto each other. Ach garden court has a statue, here one of a harmonica player. As was the case with block 3 the inside of the block around the garden court has much more sober architecture.

The garden court of block 2 has notably fewer trees that are planted symmetrically to emphasise the architecture. This garden court is well defined by the block around it as this folds in at the edges, thus creating a separation between apartment blocks 2 and 1.This is the largest of the garden courts.

The architecture of the outside is very decorative with a mix of graphic vernacular-inspired ornaments, modernist volumation and great regularity in the facades. With the green edging the complex the special status as a housing complex for union members of the Krupp Works is emphasised without the need for signage.

The garden court of block 1 is very basic with a square of lawn with some trees. Again colour blocking at the entrances and the arrangement of the protruding balconies provide vertical accents breaking up the perceived length of the facades.

The Siedlung Luisenhof II was built some 25 years after Luisenhof I and has a totally different character. It still is however best characterised as a Gartenhof. The outside is highly decorative with these gable end breaking up the length of this long singular block. The shape of these gable ends is inspired by baroque architecture. Decorative panels of contrasting colour with symmetrical ornaments are also commonplace in baroque architecture, and have been used to great effect here to embellish this corner.

Luisenhof II was built directly along the street. The vast complex blends in well with the privately build housing across the street. The complex was designed in the 1930's but doesn't reflect the "official German style" of this period -the Stuttgarter Schule- but rather Jugendstil and decorative modernism (Amsterdam School).

On the corners a set-back signals the entrance to the large garden court within. Instead of a tower the entrance is a lower section which is partly clad in slate shingles. The arched gateway gives access to the inner world of the residents of Siedlung Luisenhoff II.

As was the case with Luisenhof I, the inside of Luisenhof II is more sober in architecture, but definitely more decorative than in Luisenhof I. All the entrances are located on the garden court, thus emphasising the private character of this development for union members. The colour of the north-facing facade is a bright lemony shade.

The facades on the south-facing side are a soft earth tone, similar to the colour on the outside. The long facades are broken up visually by inserting variable details around the balconies (on the left) with arched and square loggias or by extending the facade above the entrance culminating in a gable end (on the right).

The ideal was to provide light and clean air for the residents, even in an urban setting. So the garden court, which is basically a small park, is planted with large trees and shrubs with sections laid to lawn and others fitted out practically as an area for drying laundry or as a playground. Her a view of the garden-side of the free-standing block at the entrance.

A view back through another arched gateway leaving the central garden court. On the outside the length of the facade is broken up by the use of a variable roofline, extending gable ends and hanging bays. On the other side of the street the Westpark is located.

The design culminates at was is intended as the front of the complex with a free-standing block set-back from the rest of this mega-block that angles in at the corners with tower like corners. The central block is very symmetrical. It doesn't give access to the garden court beyond however, for that one has to snake via a winding path around it.

Luisenhof, Essen: an inner-city Krupp estate

Frohnhausen formed a Dreibauerschaft with Altendorf and Holsterhausen. This collection of 9 large farmsteads held by yeoman from the Stift Essen (Essen Abbey) lay southwest of the city of Essen. It remained a rural place until the opening of the Steel Works by Alfred Krupp directly to the north. The place remained sparsely populated until the annexation by Essen with Holsterhausen and Altendorf in 1901. In the next decade the number of residents quickly rises from 6,000 to over 27,000. Landowners were selling their land for development for housing for steel workers and miners (as in the rest of the Ruhr Area there were many coal mines around Essen). To channel this rapid urbanisation the City Council draws up plans for the west side of Essen, a name made official by renaming the Altendorf-Cronenberg railway station as Essen-West to signify the incorporation into the central city.

In 1910 the Krupp Company gifts the city council of Essen a large part of the Pfingstfeld (Pentecost Field) on the edge of Frohnhausen bordering Holsterhausen, under the condition that this former quarry be transformed into a public park. This is the present Westpark. At the same time the fields north of the quarry are gifted to the Nationale Arbeiterverein Werk Krupp (National Workers Union -of the- Krupp Works) for the development of new housing.

On a narrow strip of land 151 dwellings were built in several apartment blocks around communal gardens between 1910 and 1912. This Siedlung Luisenhof I is best typified as a Gartenhof, a type of housing pioneered in Germany around 1900 to provide better living conditions in high-density inner-city developments. This complex has great affinity with examples of social housing from Vienna. Although more commonly known as Gelber Block (after the yellow colour of the facades) the official name commemorates Luise of Mecklenburg - Strelitz, Queen of Prussia who had died a century before in 1810. A statue of her was erected at the entrance to the large garden court.

Between 1916 and '17 a second housing project was built directly north of the Westpark: Luisenhof II. This is again a Gartenhof, but this time with clear Dutch influences. It has 140 dwellings that are slightly larger and better equipped than those of phase 1. Both complexes were designed by Adolf Feldmann. He created attractive building complexes of blocks of flats around a green garden with fountain or statue. By opening up the corners the inner courtyards feel less closed in and the effect on the side of the street is less massive. The architecture tries to emphasise the entrances and corners and used ornamentation to scale down the building in the streetscape. Luisenhof II suffered damage during WW2. Both complexes have been restored as examples of inner-city social housing and are part of the Route der Industriekultur in Essen.

The two urban blocks that make up the Luisenhofsiedlung are situated exactly along the edge of Frohnhausen. Luisenhof I (1) comprises of 3 apartment blocks that each wrap around a communal garden. The whole complex is edged with public gardens. The nearby Luisenhof II (2) comprises of a single complex with a separated block marking the entrance. This complex sits directly on the street but adjoins the large Westpark (3) built in a former quarry. At the end of this park a large town square (Frohnhauserplatz - 4) completed in 1912 marks the new centre of this suburb of Essen. The space is also locally known as the Markt (Market Square) to separate it from the Altendorfplatz (5) that marks the old village green.

Colourful city: autumn has arrived!

Some people think I favour autumn over all other seasons. That isn't true as I like all seasons except winter... The magic of autumn is when all the leaves start turning and reveal their often bright goodbye-colouration. Streets, parks and gardens are suddenly, and only fleetingly, ablaze with colour. And then the leaves drop and litter the streets and lawns for a while before becoming worm food.

The colour spectacle of the autumn leaves draw people to the parks. Here they can see the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quincefolia) with its big leaves turning pink hugging a tree trunk. The grass is littered with leaves in various shades. Some trees like the Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) have leaves that turn both red and yellow (middle).The crab-apples mostly hold on to their fruit, but underneath some trees the ground is littered with these small yellow apples.

A few gusts of wind are enough to send the leaves down from the canopy. These leaves on the pavement were shades of red whilst on the tree (Zelkova serrata) but quickly take on rusty tones when on the ground. A garden path is sprinkled with these deep red maple leaves (middle). The Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea) was named for its autumn leaves in shades of red. Here they have fallen on some steps in a park.

Maples are one of those trees that provide maximum interest this time of year. Especially the types from the far east combine interesting finely cut leaves with splendid autumn colours. The Japanese Maples have small leaves with many lobes. The leaves of Acer palmatum with their bright red tones litter the undergrowth. Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' has deeply cut lobes on leaves that are just turning a deep burgundy colour. Another Acer palmatum is almost on fire in the afternoon sun with leaves in yellow, and orange.

Although nature is winding down for winter some plant still produce flowers. Many late insect are very thankful for this late nectar as this group of Michaelmas Daisies is providing. Slower as a result of the lower ambient temperature this is the moment to photograph some butterflies feeding on these purple blooms. All species of butterfly are common in parks and gardens where I live: the Cabbage White (left), the Little Map (middle) in its summer colours (the autumn brood is typically black with white and brown markings) and Red Admiral (right).

Window box 7: beyond bold

As stated before I like bright colours and colour contrasts. Some people agree with me and make their window boxes into statements of optimism and pleasure by combining bright flowers and colourful foliage plants. Most dull streets need such bold injections of colour!

French Marigolds are most often used in bedding displays, but are equally happy in window boxes. Here  the blue container contrasts nicely with the orange flowers (left). Peppers are best known as a spicy ingredient of Asian and South American cuisine, but they can be decorative in their own right. In the centre a nice combination of compact red and yellow varieties. The semi double flowers of the begonia in electric orange draw attention from a distance. Again the blue planter is a good choice providing a nice contrast with the flower colour.

Not just flowers can provide bold displays as this combination of red flowers (Zonal Pelargonium) and red leaves (Painted Nettle) shows clearly. In the middle another variety of Painted Nettle (Plectranthus more commonly known as Coleus) with red leaves edged golden. A similar colour combination is provided by this Oxalis vulcanicola with deep maroon leaves under small bright yellow flowers.