#max taut

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Ludwig-Georgs-Gymnasium (1953-55) in Darmstadt, Germany, by Max Taut

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Entries to the Chicago Tribune Tower competition (1922). L-R: John Howells and Raymond Hood (winner), Eliel Saarinen (second place), Bertram Goodhue, Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer, Max Taut.

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Verbandshaus der Buchdrucker (1924-26) in Berlin, Germany, by Max Taut

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Former Department Store of Konsumgenossenschaft (1929-32), today Max-Taut-Haus, in Berlin, Germany, by Max Taut & Franz Hoffmann

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Verbandshaus der Buckdrucker (1924-26) in Berlin, Germany, by Max Taut

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Gewerkschaftshaus (1929-31) in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, by Max Taut

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House 23+24 (1927) at Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, Germany, by Max Taut

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Although his oeuvre has always been overshadowed by that of his brother Bruno’s Max Taut (1884-1967) nonetheless is a significant protagonist of modern architecture in Germany: his school and union buildings of the 1920s are fine examples of modernist architecture in Germany, not as utopian and expressive as those of his brother but on closer examination they turn out as restrained yet smart buildings. In 2003 architectural historian Annette Menting provided the first all-encompassing monograph on Max Taut with DVA Verlag that combines biography, building analyses and a complete work catalogue. Meeting chronologically follows Taut’s development from his early experiments in Sachlichkeit over his discussion of brick gothic and his expressionist phase up until his postwar works that revolved around social housing. While these phases are very profoundly discussed Menting at a historically decisive point falls short: Taut’s life and work during the Third Reich is sidelined on a mere 10 pages that tell very little about what he actually did during these 12 years. Leaving this aside the book is a profound read: each phase is covered in key events, buildings and context and makes graspable the tumultuous times Taut went through as he lived and worked in four different political systems. Together with the meticulous work catalogue Menting‘s book surely is the reference work on Max Taut that despite smaller flaws is a very readable portrait of lesser-known but key protagonist of modern architecture in Germany.