Fragments of Metropolis – Rhein & Ruhr

The architecture of Expressionism marks the starting point of the discipline into the Golden Twenties - also in the urban cityscape of the metropolises of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This volume documents for the first time in a complete overview all the buildings in the region which still exist and shows a completely new perspective on a familiar region - a fascinating rediscovery in terms of sheer volume.

Expressionism powerfully heralded the onset of the twenties. Today, the buildings that remain demonstrate great creativity with form and skillfull use of light, colour, and material, highlighting verticality and drama--the essence of the modern metropolis. With Fragments of Metropolis: Berlin, researcher Christoph Rauhut and photographer Niels Lehmann set out to document all the remaining expressionist buildings in Berlin. With Fragments of Metropolis--Rhein Ruhr, Rauhut and Lehmann present the results of the next phase of this major undertaking, showing that the Rhine-Ruhr region had a similarly rich expressionist heritage. Lehmann's new photographs are here set alongside drawings, an illustrated index of buildings, and maps that help the reader group the buildings by area, including Bochum, Bottrop, Dortmund, Duisburg, Dusseldorf, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Hagen, Cologne, Munster, Oberhausen, and more. Simultaneously a celebration of a lost period and a reminder of the riches it has left to us, Fragments of Metropolis--Rhein Ruhr is a stunning achievement of historical and artistic preservation.