Leben in der Stadt von morgen

Leben in der Stadt von morgen

20.06.2010

Sunday June 20 the documentary 'Leben in der stadt von morgen' was shown at the Filmhuis Den Haag, part of the movie programme 'Creativity Wanted'. The movie was introduced by designer Jan Konings, Konings gave a short introduction about his work in public space, following the theme of the documentary.

In the early fall of 1960 a 'vibe' went through Berlin. The Hansavertiel, that was almost bombed to the ground at the end of world war II, was opened to the public. The high-rise buildings, designed by important architects like Oscar Niemeyer, van den Broek and Bakema, Alvar Aalto and Walter Gropius, were looked upon as a sign of a new era. The ideal new living. Every building looked just a little bit different. They distinguish from each other in height, width and in the amount of apartments. The buildings were put far apart from each other with lots of green, walking space and long sight distances. Light, air and space. The optimism of rebuilding. Thousands of people from Berlin came to look at the buildings within a couple of days. Many even bought an apartment or flat. The documentary shows the optimism from the 1960's but also the pessimism of today. The trees have become too big, the low balustrades that are part of the landscaping are now favourite spots for the homeless. The famous Hansavertiel is deteriorating. The inhabitants are disputing; do we need public benches or not?