Building with prefabricated panels – now commonly referred to as ‘Plattenbau’ – had a significant impact not only on the GDR. In West Germany, too, there were – and still are – numerous buildings of this type. Countless flats were built using this construction method, particularly between the 1960s and the 1980s. But why was this style of construction chosen? What were the advantages and what were the disadvantages? What was it like to live in a «Platte», and why do these buildings have such a poor reputation?
Today, there is once again an urgent need for many new flats. The focus is on modular, serial construction. So does the ‘Platte’ have a future? This catalogue, featuring new research on the subject, accompanies the exhibition ‘PLATTE OST/WEST. Living and Building in the Large-Panel Construction Style’ at the Dresden City Museum, which is also on display at the Baukunstarchiv NRW in Dortmund.
Edited by: Baukunstarchiv NRW, Markus Lehrmann, Christina Ludwig, Claudia Quiring, Wolfgang Sonne | Softcover, 160 pages | 24 × 20 cm, German | 978-3-98741-262-2 | Kettler Publishers, 2026 – €25