Steiner, Rudolf

Steiner, Rudolf (1861–1925). Austro-Hungarian philosopher, artist, scientist, founder of Anthroposophy (knowledge produced by the Higher Self in Man), and architect. Much influenced by the writings of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), he began designing objects in 1907, guided by ideas of empathy, natural philosophy, Expressionism, and Symbolism. He believed that spiritual laws and values could be expressed in architecture, and designed seven columns to be set up in sequence within the assembly-hall of the Theosophical Congress, Munich (1907): these represented the seven ancient planetary spheres of influence believed to regulate human development. In 1910 he designed an underground chamber for the Theosophical Society in Stuttgart, a windowless elliptical space with two rows of columns supporting arches and vaults bearing astral and Zodiac signs with a polyhedral glass centrepiece. In 1912 he began to plan a domed auditorium and theatre in which all the forms would relate harmoniously to each other and have a mnemonic content. This was realized eventually at the Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland (1913–20), a domed structure that was the epitome of Expressionism with a strong Symbolist and Jugendstil flavour. This somewhat sinister ‘temple of spiritual wisdom’ burned down in 1922, and was replaced by his second Goetheanum (1924, completed 1964), a remarkable Expressionist structure of reinforced concrete.

Bibliography

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