When the city center of Darmstadt was rebuilt after its destruction in 1944, as in many German towns it resulted in an economically functional city with shopping zones, multi-storey car parks, and generous streets, but the cultural amenities were pushed out to the periphery, which led to a noticeable loss of urbanity. This critical city guide, edited by the Werkbundakademie Darmstadt and the Agenda 21 group Stadtgestalt, presents multifaceted contributions that not only take stock of the city characterized by post-war architecture, but also make suggestions as to how the significant loss of urbanity could be redressed.
Specialist contributions by experts from politics, administration, and higher education enrich the overall presentation of the topic. Impressive images by Anna Lehmann-Brauns, the eleventh city photographer from the Werkbundakademie, illustrate the issue with unusual perspectives on Darmstadt and its buildings.