city
The “New Frankfurt” was a programme initiated by the City of Frankfurt am Main, through which new districts were developed in innovative ways, including specially designed interior fittings. The project was led by Ernst May in his role as city planning officer. He was clever, because everything was until 1931 published in the magazine Neues Frankfurt. It was also largely due to the then Lord Mayor, Ludwig Landmann, who enabled May and his team to carry out extensive planning and implementation.
By 1930, around 12,000 flats had been built for people on lower incomes. One of the innovations was the use of prefabricated concrete elements for exterior walls. These could be used across different housing estates, were quick to assemble on site, and could even be installed by unskilled workers.
The interior designs included the Frankfurt Kitchen, the first fitted kitchen, created by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky. Other elements, such as door handles and telephones, were also part of the concept. Residents could order suitable items from a specially designed catalogue—though not always successfully.
The urban programme extended far beyond housing, also encompassing the design of advertising, tram stops, the city’s coat of arms, and even the newly developed typeface Futura.
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