Architecture and the European City

School of Architecture

Available on-demand

Modernist “dissolution” has atomized the urban fabric. Architect Christoph Mäckler proposes a return to the traditional European block. Through his “wing house” research, Mäckler demonstrates how high-density urbanism reduces infrastructure by 40% while creating 10,000-square-meter internal parks, restoring beauty and efficiency to modern living.

Speaker:
Christoph Mäckler, Urban Planner, Founder & Managing Director of Mäckler Architekten

The recent symposium, featuring renowned German architect Christoph Mäckler, marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between the University of Dortmund and Notre Dame’s School of Architecture. This partnership has culminated in the co-publication of Architecture and the European City, a landmark volume documenting 150 examples of urbanism. As Stephanos Polyzoides noted, this work serves as a “source of intelligence” for a necessary shakeup in the field, moving beyond the rigid constraints of 20th-century design.

The Crisis of Modern Urbanism

Mäckler delivers a pointed critique of the “dissolution” of the city, a trend rooted in 1920s modernism—specifically the work of figures like Ernst May—that accelerated post-WWII. He observes that modern developments frequently lack essential urban components: defined streets, private courtyards, and public squares. Instead, modern planning results in rows of houses sitting in undifferentiated green space with no clear distinction between “front and back.” This loss of the traditional grid destroys the functional mix and social density that define the European city.

The Power of “House Types”

Central to Mäckler’s research is the recovery of historical “house types.” He highlights the Schlitz house (slot house) in Hamburg and the Kaffeemühle (coffee grinder) in Dresden. The technical brilliance of the Schlitz house allows it to maintain a 350-meter street length through a rhythmic repetition of staircases and skylights. These types demonstrate a vital principle: a street can maintain a cohesive public “living room” even when individual facades vary. By allowing for individual facade identity and varying elevations, architects create a rhythmic streetscape that feels like a collection of homes rather than an anonymous, monolithic block.

The “Wing House” Innovation

The “So What?” of Mäckler’s research is most evident in the “wing house.” This typology extends deep into the property rather than sitting parallel to the street. The data is transformative: the wing house requires 40% less road infrastructure and creates 25% more living space. Most strikingly, this efficiency allows for the creation of massive, 10,000-square-meter internal parks within the block. This represents a “win-win” for investors, who pay for less road construction, and for residents, who gain access to a semi-private, verdant amenity.

Density, Privacy, and Ecology

Addressing modern privacy anxieties, Mäckler argues that density does not necessitate isolation. He contrasts Alfred Messel’s “Reform Block”—which uses one massive, anonymous courtyard for 100 people—with traditional small-scale courtyards that foster social cohesion among ten households. Furthermore, he links privacy to floor height; in rooms with 3.5-meter ceilings, residents feel a sense of interiority and “inside-ness” that modern floor-to-ceiling glass fails to provide. These courtyards also serve as ecological tools, managing rainwater and providing safe playgrounds, essential for the enduring health of the urban fabric.

Mäckler’s journey through the lens of the city provides a definitive blueprint for future growth, shifting the focus from individual buildings to the permanence of the neighborhood.

Public Space as the Primary Design Driver: Urban design should begin with the “white space” of the plan—the streets, squares, and parks—rather than the individual buildings. Architecture serves to frame these public “living rooms.”
The Economic Advantage of Reduced Infrastructure: Transitioning to types like the wing house significantly reduces the cost of roads and utilities. Polyzoides noted that the “length of pipes” is often 50% more costly than the street itself, making this a vital financial consideration for developers.
The Role of Floor Heights in Facade Identity: Subtle variations achieved by adding “two or three stairs” to the ground floor elevation allow for distinct cornice lines and facades. This prevents modern anonymity and creates a human-scaled, engaging streetscape.
The “Wing House” as an Ecological Solution: High-density block structures with deep-set wing houses allow for massive internal parks. This provides a critical solution for urban cooling and rainwater management in response to climate change.
Defining the Urban Growth Problem: We must frame the current crisis not as a “housing problem” but as an “urban growth problem.” The goal is to build neighborhoods and movement systems that facilitate permanence and livability, rather than just erecting isolated “units.”

“In Germany the courtyard is not allowed uh intellectually. Yeah you can build this but nobody till today nobody really realized this that it has a nice situation also um for the people who lived in this um in this houses.” — Christoph Mäckler
“I have the feeling it’s a win-win situation for the investor and for the city and for the for us where we have to live there who we have to live there.” — Christoph Mäckler
“When you build well you build forever in fact right.” — Stephanos Polyzoides
“In Germany it is not really easy to do historical facads it’s a very um ideological discussion.” — Christoph Mäckler
“We don’t have a housing problem in this country but we have an urban growth problem how we extend cities and infill cities in densities that make livability not only livability but also permanence possible.” — Stephanos Polyzoides