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Erich Mendelsohn, Einstein Tower in Potsdam (built 1920-21)

Einstein Tower was Erich Mendelsohn’s first commissioned building. Built in a science park in Potsdam, it contains a telescope and laboratory and was intended to test Einstein’s theories. The building sought to harmonize with nature and the built environment, and to evoke the quest for spiritual and scientific truth. Mendelsohn always claimed to have been influenced by Einstein’s theory of relativity. He often used the terms "dynamic tension" and "function" to describe his own architecture. Upon seeing Einstein Tower for the first time, Einstein himself apparently uttered one word: “Organic!”

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Erich Mendelsohn, Einstein Tower in Potsdam (built 1920-21)

© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz