A JOURNEY THROUGH ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

The DAM’s permanent exhibition on the second floor of the museum boasts Germany’s most comprehensive collection of panoramic models on architectural history. 24 largescale models impressively illustrate the evolution of the environment as shaped by humans. The arresting ‘ journey through time’ from the architecture of the Stone Age to the 21st century begins with a roof made of leaves and branches – the oldest verifi able man-made shelter – on the beach of Nice around 400,000 BC. The exhibition further includes the Egyptian Pharaohs’ famous terraced temples in Deir el-Bahari, the magnificent Forum of Pompeii, whose buildings are superbly illustrate the Roman political system, as well as the Renaissance ideal city of humanist Pope Pius II. The German Baroque Town of Arolsen with its castle complex embodies the absolutist spirit of the early 18th century, while the model of a London slum reconstructed from a drawing by Gustave Doré illustrates the impact of Industrialization. The Crystal Palace, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition of 1851, epitomizes the accomplishments of engineering in the field of architecture. Its skeletal construction pioneered an approach later used in high-rise buildings across 20th-century metropolises. This new type of building is further visualized both in the skyline of Manhattan and in a model of the Main Tower in Frankfurt. More in-depth information on the architecture and social history of the buildings in the dioramas can be found in a terminal that includes a world map and timeline as well as a lavishly illustrated and cross-linked ‘Architecture ABC’. Children can get creative with a series of animated and audio-based learning games, which enable them to obtain a master builder diploma, travel ‘Around the world in eight minutes with Phileas Fogg’ or dive into underwater worlds with Captain Nemo.

This project couldn’t have been realized without the kind support by the Society of Friends of the DAM.