| This dissertation examines German Expressionist architecture specifically as a paper movement, and it does so by considering paper materially, culturally, and aesthetically. It moves beyond previous studies of the foundational elements of Expressionist architecture, including its utopianism and politics, to focus instead on ideas, dilemmas, and contradictions inherent to the movement that can be related directly to its medium. The term "paper architecture" is applied broadly to refer to Expressionist architectural drawings, essays, letters, manifestos, film scenarios, and books. In each of these formats, paper was used as a means to visually and/or verbally articulate an aesthetic and ideological agenda unattainable in practice, primarily due to the collapse of Germany's building industry during and immediately following World War I.;The dissertation's central argument is that the German Expressionists were deeply conflicted about the constitution of their paper architectural projects and their perception as architecture, and that ambivalence toward their work shaped the direction of the movement from1914 to 1920. Many architects appreciated the way paper allowed them to continue to disseminate their ideas during these years. Nonetheless, they resented the way their dependence on paper seemed to transform them from architects into "artists," "illustrators," and "writers." Through a series of case studies, the dissertation contends that the Expressionists' reliance on the exhibition and publishing spheres to display and circulate paper architectural works generated tension and self-doubt, as they found themselves exposed to the opinions and practices of individuals---namely, art critics, gallery patrons, and publishers---who did not perceive their drawings and portfolios as viable architectural forms. The public's confusion over the purpose and content of Expressionist paper architecture led certain architects to cultivate mystical and prophetic personas in order to justify the increasingly artistic and literary nature of their work. By 1920, Expressionist architects began to question paper's ability to convey effectively tectonic concepts. These architects turned instead to theater and film to realize a more tangible form of architecture. |
