Christoph Montebelli

Millions of people around the globe live in Plattenbau structures. The majority of these were constructed in the second half of the twentieth century and always went hand in hand with lofty ambitions. They were intended to alleviate the housing shortage and to make daily life simpler. Often, however, the planned cities of the future came to symbolize failed utopias. The hoped-for social mixing largely failed to materialize and residents often felt marginalized. Christoph Montebelli (b. 1980) visited four Plattenbau housing estates on four continents—in Berlin, Hong Kong, Havana, and Zanzibar—and through his photographs explores the relationship between aspiration and reality. Free from oversimplification or prejudice, Plattenbau Promenades conveys powerful insight into these architectural enfants terribles and illustrates the dynamic interaction between local features, visions of an architectural aesthetic, and the people who live there.