Interbau was constructed as part of the 1957 International Building Exhibition, which was held in Berlin. Located in the war-torn Hansaviertel district of Tiergarten, plans by Gerhard Jobst and Willy Kreuer won the urban design aspect of the exhibition. Their plans were implemented under the supervision of Otto Bartning, who managed the overall project.
The plan went along with the typical Le Corbusier modern ideology of what the city of the future should be-- an efficient machine, lushly landscaped, with separated uses. Although primarily residential, a church, theater, library and public gardens were dispersed through the development. Thirty-six buildings were built.
Fifty-three architects from around the world participate in the project, including Oscar Niemeyer, Arne Jacobsen, Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Walter Gropius.
Haus der Kulturen der Welt or Congress Hall by US architect Hugh Stubbins
I toured Interbau by bicycle.
The building was a gift from the United States as part of an extension of the Marshall Plan.
"Haus 16" by Alvar Aalto
One of the units was exhibited decked out with Aalto furniture.
Source: Finnish Architecture
Oscar Niemeyer's contribution was an eight-story apartment building.
Those trees have filled in quite nicely around the building. That's great for the residents, but bad for taking photos of the entire building, so here's a photo taken shortly after construction.
This Hans Uhlmann sculpture (1957) is installed in front of the Niemeyer building. It makes sense.
Church by Willy Kreuer
Jaenecke & Samuelson from Sweden
The business side of the building
Mosaic mural at Hansaplatz U-Bahn station
Hans Schippert from Dusseldorf
All the buildings have Interbau plaques. The logo is fantastic.
I picked up a copy of the Interbau book when I was in Berlin. It was published when the project was still under construction.
All the buildings constructed as part of Interbau received landmark status in 1995.