Draft:Kornhaus

The Kornhaus is a restaurant built between 1929 and 1930 in Dessau-Roßlau along the Elbe River by Bauhaus architect Carl Fieger. It is one of the many Bauhaus buildings in Dessau.

Front view of the Kornhaus.

Origin

Carl Fieger had been working with Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius since 1921 and followed him to Dessau. In March 1929, the city of Dessau and the Schultheiss-Patzenhofer brewery announced a competition to design a restaurant on the Elbe. Although Fieger did not originally win the competition, his design was eventually selected likely due to economic reasons. The name comes from a 18th century granary which once stood at the site ("Kornhaus" means granary in German) and there was also a restaurant called "Kornhaus" which once occupied the site, utilizing the old granary structures. The original granary was built in 1781 under Leopold I of Anhalt Dessau and stood five stories and was demolished in the early 1800s. The granary and original restaurant were demolished so new construction plans could begin.

Design

The Kornhaus is notable for being the only Bauhaus building constructed along a waterfront. It was intentionally built to resemble the steamships which would have been a common sight on the Elbe especially since it was located near a steamship pier. The restaurant is two-stories with the first floor holding a beer hall and the second floor featuring the kitchen, restaurant seating, a dance hall, a stage, and a large terrace which faces the river. The dance hall and seating flank the central kitchen. One of the most recognizable elements of the Kornhaus is the semi-circular room encased in glass which gives visitors a good view of the Elbe. The large windows are a notable aspect of Bauhaus design and the curves are sculptural curves of the design are also a signature element of Fieger's designs. This room was originally designed as an open balcony before it was later decided to enclose it in glass. The white color of the buildings with the blue and red accents are meant to invoke a maritime feeling.

Interior view of the Kornhaus- the dance hall.

View of the glass-enclosed room.

Later History

During World War II the restaurant was used as a temporary hospital. Starting in the 1950s, and throughout the GDR period, it was run by the Handelsorganisation and was renovated on different occasions until 1996 when it was renovated with the purpose of protecting its historical significance. It reopened again in 2012 and being run by Kornhaus Betreiber GmbH with cooperation from the city of Dessau. The renovations in 2012 worked to restore the interior of the building to how it was originally when it opened and according to Fieger's plans. It remains open as a restaurant today.