Costruzione ordinaria in mattoni, sistemi di vita innovativi. Edifici di Theodor Fischer e Fritz Schumacher / Simple brick construction, innovative life system. Buildings by Theodor Fischer and Fritz Schumacher

Theodor Fischer designed the Elderly Home in 1927 in Munich, where single-people can go for living to the rest of their life. It was located in the industrial city district and its block-shape with two courtyards inside supported the transformation of the area in a high quality urban space. Fischer thought about a “big house” as a memory of the family house for each human beings. Fritz Schumacher designed the Elderly Home in 1929 in Hamburg, where in spite of collective cohabitation should be guaranteed as much independent living as possible. The building is a complex “machine” for living as a model for a kind of society and contributed to give the identity to a new city suburb. The purpose of the article is to investigate and analyse two life experiences belong to a simple building construction - more closed or opened to the city -, adopting a modern necessities but evolving into innovative features for allowing the old people living together.