Mendelsohn, << MEHN duhl suhn, >> Eric (1887-1953), was a German architect noted for his bold geometric style. Mendelsohn attempted to create a new and expressive industrial and commercial architecture. His best-known structure is the Einstein Tower (1924), a laboratory and observatory in Potsdam. The building features sweeping curves typical of Mendelsohn’s work.
Eric (also spelled Erich) Mendelsohn was born on March 21, 1887, in Allenstein, East Prussia (now Olsztyn, Poland). He studied architecture in Munich, Germany. His most important German works included the Steinberg, Hermann & Co. factory (1923) in Luckenwalde and the Schocken department stores in Stuttgart (1927) and Chemnitz (1928).
In 1933, Mendelsohn emigrated to England, where he worked with architect Serge Chermayeff. Their best-known collaboration was the De La Warr Pavilion (1935) in Bexhill. Mendelsohn also practiced in Palestine (now Israel) in the late 1930’s, designing hospitals in Haifa and Jerusalem. Mendelsohn settled in the United States in 1941. His major U.S. projects include the Maimonides Health Center (1950) in San Francisco and synagogues for several Midwestern cities, including Cleveland and St. Louis. He died on Sept. 15, 1953.
