De La Warr Pavilion
The Architect - Erich Mendelsohn
Erich Mendelsohn was born in East Prussia (now Poland) in 1887. He studied in Berlin and Munich where he became involved with Expressionism, a school of art in which images are exaggerated and distorted to generate a particular emotional effect. Mendelsohn’s own take on expressionism involved a personal dynamism that didn’t borrow from historical precedents in formulating his designs. This distinguished him from many of his contemporaries as he recognised that the unique qualities of modern building materials should dictate a new architecture.
In 1933, Mendehlson fled from Nazi Germany to England where he gained citizenship and set up a design partnership with Serge Chermayeff until 1939 when he moved to Palestine.
Some of Mendelsohn’s other works
The Einstein Tower in Potsdam
The Hat Factory in Luckenwalde
The Petersdorf Shopping Centre
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