architecture

Rudolph Steiner —

The Goetheanum 
(more below)

via chatgpt:

1. The First Goetheanum Was All Wood—Then Burned Down

Steiner’s original 1913 design was an immense, double-domed timber structure resembling interlocking spheres. On New Year’s Eve 1922–1923, it burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances. Despite its short life, visitors described it as feeling more like an otherworldly sculpture than a building.

2. No Right Angles

The second Goetheanum (completed in 1928) was poured almost entirely in concrete—very unusual at the time—and it deliberately contains almost no right angles. Corners, walls, and columns melt into one another in flowing lines, meant to evoke organic, living forms rather than machine-like geometry.

3. Steiner Believed Architecture Could “Tune” Human Souls

Underlying the Goetheanum’s design is the notion that colors, curves, and spatial relationships can work on you at a soul level. Steiner thought that encountering these unusual shapes in daily life would subtly shift perception, opening a path to higher spiritual awareness.

4. It’s Part Performance Hall, Part Spiritual Nerve Center

Besides housing lectures and anthroposophical events, it’s also known for Eurythmy performances—an expressive movement art Steiner developed to make language “visible.” The stage is large and often ringed by unusual murals or sculptural forms that enhance the mystical atmosphere.

photos: brian buchard via https://www.readcereal.com/articles/the-goetheanum

“no right angles” seems like a wild exaggeration, but there are certainly much fewer than in a standard design

Digital Media Producer. I like particles and waves too. I like art.

ah, so cool! i haven’t read anything of his. which book?

Ahhh I love Rudolf Steiner so much. Reading one of his books right now actually!!