Behrens, << BAIR uhnz or BAY ruhns, >> Peter (1868-1940), was a German architect famous for his pioneering work in industrial architecture and design. Behrens developed an approach to designing factories and other commercial structures in glass, iron, and brick that gave them the grace and elegance of fine architecture.
Behrens was born on April 14, 1868, in Hamburg. In 1907, he was appointed architect and product designer by the AEG Corporation, an electrical company. The buildings he designed for them, such as the AEG Turbine Factory (1909), were a major influence on the development of modern architecture. His office was also a training ground for young architects, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and Le Corbusier. Behrens died on Feb. 27, 1940.
