Kurt
Schneckendorf

Architect of the pre- and post-war time in Nuremberg. Together with Heinz Schmeißner he designed several buildings of the Zoological Garden at Schmausenbuck shortly before the war. His main oeuvre is the New City Hall at Hauptmarkt (Main Market) 1954 / 1955. Schneckendorf succeeded in designing the probably best piece of architecture for this highly sensitive place when rebuilding destroyed buildings in the Old City. Two main fronts facing the Market and the Rathausplatz respectively feature materials typical for the area (red sandstone) and the typical building forms (hip roof) . Despite of the absolutely modern way of using forms and volumes the City Hall even quotes structures of the neighboring late Gothic Council Chamber, e. g. the twin arched portal. The vertical structure of the fronts can be directly put into relation to the Gothic period. As the building is neither monumental nor pretentious it blends in with its surroundings in a quite fortunate way.

Dr. Pablo de la Riestra