The Raimundstraße settlement in Frankfurt in the Dornbusch district, between Raimundstraße in the north and Platenstraße in the south, was built between 1926 and 1931. Ernst May planned it as a larger overall project, but only a few components were implemented. The development of this relatively expensive site, which bordered on the existing "Dichterviertel", took the form of a row of hook-shaped buildings with residential courtyards open to the south-west in between. A peripheral development along Platenstraße formed the structural conclusion to the south. The new residential area was connected to the city center by a tram that ran from Ginnheim along Raimundstraße to Dornbusch. Several housing associations and architects were involved in the implementation of the plan. In 1926, the newly founded housing association of Frankfurt craftsmen (Mavest) began building the first assembly group, the "Mavestblock", based on plans by the architect Franz Roeckle. In 1930, the stock construction company for small apartments (ABG) followed with the assembly for I.-G.-Farben officials according to plans by Ernst May and his colleague Carl-Hermann Rudloff. Around the same time, the women's housing association built the "single home" for working women on Platenstrasse based on plans by the architect Bernhard Hermkes. Due to the ongoing economic crisis, all construction work on the Raimundstraße estate was stopped from 1932. It was not until the 1950s that residential construction continued in a different form at this location. In recent years, the buildings from the May era have been renovated with grants from the city of Frankfurt. [3]
Building Block Mavest
The 4-storey residential complex in the shape of a horseshoe was built in two construction phases. A start was made in 1926 on the approximately 50 m long south wing. Two more wings followed in 1929. Mavest's housing association (materials and order determination office) created a total of 47 apartments here: 2-room apartments with 48 m2 (10 units), 3-room apartments with 72-92 m2 (23 units) and 4-room apartments with 105 m2 of living space (14 units). All apartments were supplied with heat and hot water via a central heating system. They had Frankfurt kitchens, bathrooms, built-in cupboards, glazed verandas or open loggias. The apartments of the caretaker, stoker and gardener as well as the so-called girls' chambers were on the ground floor. The large inner courtyard was planned as a green play area with a paddling pool for the children. At that time, the "Mavestblock" with its continuous glass verandas was considered a prime example of modern small apartment construction. The design came from the architect Franz Roeckle. [3]
Assembly for I.-G.-Farben employees
In 1930, the construction of the “Assembly for I.G.-Farben employees” was built according to plans by Ernst May with the collaboration of architect Carl-Hermann Rudloff. Together with the settlement on Miquelallee, which was built at about the same time, inexpensive living space for the employees and officials of the newly erected administration building of I.-G.-Farben was to be created here with its approximately 2000 newly created office spaces. Based on the previously built "Mavestblock", four hook-shaped structures were created south of Raimundstraße with garden courtyards open to the south-west in between. Further residential courtyards along Raimundstraße and a corresponding development along Platenstraße were planned, but were not realised. A total of 99 apartments were built. Carl-Herrmann Rudloff was responsible for the detailed planning as the chief architect of the AG for small apartments. The range of apartments ranged from 1-room apartments with 33 m2 to 5-room apartments with 115 m2 of living space. All apartments were equipped with a Frankfurt kitchen and bathroom, some with a separate toilet. The heating and hot water supply was provided by a central heating system. [3]
Evaluation
The Mavest block is one of the settlements and groups of residential buildings in New Frankfurt that were built under the direction of Ernst May, head of the urban planning department. As a freelance architect, Roeckle was one of the most important representatives of the group of private architects involved. The building is thus a visible example of the cooperation between the building authority and private architects. Roeckle was involved in five out of 26 realized or projected settlements, including his largest project Riedhof-West, the so-called home settlement. With regard to its proportions and lines, the Mavest block has a special position within the housing estates of New Frankfurt. The design quality of the building block is evident both in its open floor plan structure and in the broken cubature. The installation of glazed verandas is a new building idea and represents a model solution for the Heimat settlement begun in 1927, whose southern garden fronts were designed based on this model. The same applies to the hook-shaped floor plan figure of the Mavest block, which forms the backdrop for the later large-scale solution in Riedhof-West. [4]The Mavest block is a cultural monument for historical and urban planning reasons. [4]
Significant alterations with dates:The garage complex to the west has been demolished. The living rooms were renovated in 1979, as were the stairwells. The facade was renovated in 1989. The steel windows of the glass verandas were replaced by blue metal windows with insulating glazing, the other window openings were given blue plastic windows with the original rung spacing. The front doors were also renewed in the course of this renovation. The roofs of the middle attic apartments were brought forward so that they are flush with the wing. This resulted in completely covered loggias.[4]
