Sorry guys, anyone looking for fun and creative halloween decorating tips better head over to MarthaStewart.com. However, if you want to see a spooky German version of the Art Nouveau style, stick around.
I was recently lecturing on Art Nouveau to my interior design students, and while going through some old notes, I came across a little-known building called the Elvira Studio in Munich. Built in 1898 by architect August Endell, it is a bizarre take on the popular French style. Being October 28th, I felt this building would be just perfect for a halloween themed blog. Of course the name of the feminist photography studio and artist gathering place does a lot for the halloween feel, but just wait til you see these spiderweb-like window mullions...I swear I can feel the spiders. The building was not exactly the most popular on the block....in fact it was often called the 'dragon's castle' or the 'chinese embassy'. It was not considered Art Nouveau by the locals, instead it was lovingly catagorized as 'Octopus Rococo'. And I think that is actually a pretty fair description. Alas, it is no more, while Elvira did survive two world wars, the studio did not make it past 1950. Luckily the below photos survive. Please enjoy and have a good halloween!
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Perfect for Halloween!
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