The buildings of the 50s, 60s and 70s are part of the identity of the city of Munich. Although they shape the cityscape, there is often little awareness of their quality and significance. In many places, they are being disfigured or simply demolished; only a few buildings are listed as historic monuments. In this first comprehensive documentation of Munich's postwar architecture, author and editor Alexander Fthenakis systematically examines the formative influences of architecture between 1950 and 1979 on Munich's urban space.
The book combines concise informative accompanying texts and documentary material with recent photographs by architectural photographer Oliver Heissner, thus addressing a broad audience. The carefully composed picture series lead the reader through the city's neighborhoods as if on a stroll. They show which buildings from the 1950s to the 1970s have shaped the city of Munich and still do today. The photographic city walks are supplemented by a study of the Chair of Design and Historic Preservation, which was conducted between 2008 and 2012 under the direction of Rolf Berninger and Alexander Fthenakis. In this sense, "50 60 70" sees itself as a contribution to the training of our perception and our handling of post-war architecture.
"50 60 70" was awarded the DAM Architectural Book Award 2017 by the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Deutsches Architekturmuseum.