Martin Elsaesser

Martin Elsaesser was one of the most influential architects of the modern metropolis, especially in Frankfurt am Main in the 1920s. His buildings were contemporary responses to innovative issues. His most famous building, the Frankfurt Grossmarkthalle, now serves as the ECB's representative space. Less well known is that Elsaesser continually reflected on his work as a master builder of the metropolis and presented it in speeches and essays.
These texts, compiled here for the first time, form a kaleidoscope of reflections on the appropriate design of the diverse urban building projects from the German Empire to the Federal Republic of Germany. Elsaesser reveals himself as a captivating formulator and multifaceted theorist, advocating complex views on modern architecture. Architectural expression is just as important to him as constructive clarity, functionality as much as beauty, artistic individuality as much as social responsibility, respect for tradition as much as unshakeable presence. He once called this non-reductionist concept "fertile polarity," which distinguished him from most avant-gardists of his time. His immediate relevance lies in this rich conception, as well as in his exemplary architectural and urban planning solutions. This volume presents selected writings by Elsaesser, a comprehensive bibliography, and explanatory essays.