Discover how the ‘Frankfurt Kitchen’ designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky in the 1920s revolutionized domestic life with its functional, fitted design. This pioneering innovation has defined kitchens for generations to come.
The Birth of the Modern Kitchen: How the ‘Frankfurt Kitchen‘ Revolutionized Domestic Life
A Pioneering Design that Changed the Face of Architecture
Around a century ago, working in the kitchen was still a cumbersome and inefficient process. However, a Viennese architect had a groundbreaking idea that has endured to this day: The fitted kitchen.
The “Frankfurt kitchen” designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky in the 1920s rewrote architectural history and revolutionized the lives of public housing residents by creating a newly functional, fitted culinary space. This pioneering design has defined kitchens for generations to come.
A Social Architect with a Conscience
Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky was not only an architectural pioneer but also a women’s rights activist. She was celebrated as a heroine of resistance against the Nazi dictatorship. Throughout her life, she aimed to improve the lives of others through her work.
Born into a middle-class, intellectual Viennese family in 1897, Schütte-Lihotzky’s childhood was characterized by art and culture, as well as politics. Her mother was involved with the Viennese art scene and pacifist and feminist circles. As a child, Margarethe knew she was relatively privileged, which shaped her understanding of design and architecture and her decision to work on social housing projects.
The Design Process: Functionality and Efficiency
After the First World War, housing was urgently needed in devastated Europe. Building director Ernst May launched the “New Frankfurt” housing program in Frankfurt am Main. His goal was to eliminate the housing shortage in 10 years. May commissioned Schütte-Lihotzky to design a suitable kitchen for the residential complexes.
The young architect got to work, analyzing how many steps the kitchen user needed to take to get from A to B, how they moved, where cooking utensils were best placed, and how one could watch children while working in the kitchen. The result was a room around 3.5 meters long and 2 meters wide, with sliding glass doors that allowed a view into the living room and a large window to let in light.
The kitchen was fitted with cabinets from floor to ceiling, a worktop, a sink with a drainer, drawers for kitchen waste, and aluminum chutes for the most essential cooking ingredients. The individual modules were to be industrially manufactured in large numbers as new apartment blocks went up across Frankfurt.
A Kitchen that Challenged Social Norms
To dispel initial skepticism about this new type of kitchen, Ernst May promoted Margarete’s invention as “built by a woman for women.” However, the growing feminist movement of the time was critical of the idea that women performed all domestic work in the kitchen. The accusation was that the efficiency of this kitchen only tied women even closer to the stove.
Despite criticism, the Frankfurt Kitchen was a success. Orders came in from all over the world: The French Minister of Labor alone wanted 260,000 units installed. Despite international recognition, the young designer felt misunderstood and wanted mainly to improve working-class lives.
A Life of Resistance and Activism
This almost became her undoing during the Nazi era. After the annexation of Austria to Nazi Germany, she fought underground against the Nazis as a communist. She was arrested and only narrowly escaped execution.
After the Second World War, Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky became involved in the peace and women’s rights movement. She gave lectures, guided young female architects, and built apartments and kindergartens in West Germany, Russia, Cuba, and East Germany.
