Busan (dpa) – Zehlendorf Forest Estate has been added to the World Heritage List as part of the Berlin Modernism Housing Estates. The decision was taken by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. The World Heritage Site will now comprise seven housing estates in Berlin. The extension recognises Zehlendorf Forest Estate as an outstanding example of the architectural movement “Neues Bauen”.
The Berlin Modernism Housing Estates have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008 and exemplify a transformation in housing design in the early 20th century that placed people’s health and well-being at its heart under the guiding principle of “Light, air and sunshine”.
Built between 1926 and 1932, Zehlendorf Forest Estate is regarded as one of architect Bruno Taut’s most important works, designed in collaboration with Hugo Häring and Otto Rudolf Salvisberg. Its distinctive features include colourful façades, the close relationship between living space and nature, and generous green areas between the terraced and apartment buildings.
Around 30 sites have been nominated for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List this year. It currently comprises more than 1,250 cultural and natural heritage sites, around 60 of which are considered to be under threat. Germany currently has 55 World Heritage Sites.
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