Fagus Factory
Early modern shoe last factory, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011.
The Fagus Factory (German: Fagus-Werk) is a shoe last factory in Alfeld on the Leine, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is an important example of early modern architecture, commissioned by owner Carl Benscheidt, who wanted a radical structure to express the company's break from the past. The factory was designed by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer, constructed between 1911 and 1913, with additions and interiors completed in 1925. Because of its influence on modern architecture and outstanding design, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011.
- location
- Alfeld on the Leine, Lower Saxony, Germany
- type
- Shoe last factory
- architects
- Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer
- construction
- 1911–1913, with additions and interiors completed in 1925
- owner
- Carl Benscheidt
- UNESCO listing
- 2011
Lore & Background
Carl Benscheidt founded the Fagus company in 1910 after resigning from his position as general manager of a competitor's factory. He hired architect Eduard Werner for the factory design, but was dissatisfied with the exterior appearance. In January 1911, he contacted Walter Gropius to redesign the facades. Gropius and his partner Adolf Meyer worked under pressure, as construction began in May 1911 based on Werner's plans, and Benscheidt wanted the factory running by winter of that year. The main building's glass facades were designed by Gropius and Meyer, and a major expansion in 1913 doubled the surface area, giving the complex a proper street elevation. During and after World War I, minor buildings were added, and from 1923 to 1925, the architects collaborated with Bauhaus teachers and students on interiors and furniture. Financial difficulties halted further expansion in 1927.
Reader's Guide
The Fagus Factory is significant for its radical glass facade, which for the first time conceived a complete facade in glass. The design was influenced by the 1909 AEG turbine factory by Peter Behrens, on which Gropius and Meyer had worked. The Fagus main building inverts the AEG design: corners are left open, piers are recessed, and glass surfaces are brought to the front, creating a transparent, non-monumental appearance. Gropius described the walls as 'mere screens stretched between the upright columns.' The factory also drew inspiration from American industrial buildings. Despite misconceptions, the main building is not concrete or steel but brick with reinforced wood floors; the glass facade consists of floor-to-floor window frames screwed to the building. The factory's influence on modern architecture led to its UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2011.
Did You Know?
- The Fagus Factory was commissioned by Carl Benscheidt, who wanted a radical structure to express the company's break from the past.
- The design was influenced by the 1909 AEG turbine factory in Berlin, designed by Peter Behrens, where Gropius and Meyer had worked.
- During the 1980s renovation, it was discovered that the main building was not concrete or steel but plain brickwork with reinforced wood floors.
- The factory has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011.
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