The Orange Funnel

On Saturday, 31 August 2024, at 12:30 pm, our series after the weekly market will focus on “Heimatschutz” architecture.

The Eckernförde architectural college built a thatched building on the resort beach in 1936. The use of local building materials (e.g. brick) and the avoidance of ornamental attributes that imitate older architectural styles are characteristic of the Heimatschutz style that emerged around 1900.

The large door on the west side illustrates the building’s original use as a boathouse and fire station for the students of the school. Around the corner, on the north side, there is a smaller side entrance, which has been used since 1978 to access a cultural centre consisting of an exhibition space, an art print shop and an art library.

Between the large gate and the entrance door, three funnels measuring around 45 mm are embedded in the masonry. They are arranged in such a way that they form a diagonal descending from a height of 200 cm to 125 cm, which runs around the corner of the building at a distance of approx. 50 cm. Two funnels face west, one north. The sounds, which are channelled outwards through the wall via three tubes, produce a bright tone rich in overtones through the relatively steep funnels. The sound installation ‘Eckstück’ by documenta artist Ulrich Eller is visible from afar. The work is particularly eye-catching because it adds an accent to the appearance of the thatched house on the Baltic Sea beach that seems to contradict the claim of Heimatschutz architecture.

Former teacher at the Bauschule Professor Peter Genz and Norbert Weber talk about the confrontation between tradition and modernity.

The two experts also address the question of what sense such an intervention makes.

Admission is free.