Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK building)

The AOK building in Halle is one of the most important examples of progressive architecture in the ‘New Building’ style and famous throughout Germany. The three-storey flat-roofed reinforced concrete frame structure with a parabolic ground plan was designed by architect Martin Knauthe in 1929. The south wing protrudes onto the street like the bows of a ship, but the administration building is set back from the road, leaving room for an impressive forecourt. These two sections are connected by a staircase. Vertical brick bands and window surrounds contrast starkly with the horizontal bands running around the building. The horseshoe-shaped glass roof lets light into the spacious cash-desk hall. Martin Knauthe’s AOK building is probably one of the most important achievements of Modernist architecture in Halle. Thanks to a thorough renovation in 2005, it looks almost the same today as when it was first built.