Around the 1920s aroused an attempt to optimize workspaces. This development named Taylorism did not stop at the factories, it also intruded into the world of the housewife.
The principles of Taylorism is to design workspace in that way, that every step is the most efficient in time and effort.
The Frankfurter Kitchen is an excellent example for a design concept that had influences our lifestyle since.
It was established during a project called "Neues Frankfurt" in 1926 by Ernst May and was further carried out by the architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky. This kitchen is the first form of the modern kitchenette.
Before that the kitchen was a room with various tools and supplies in no special order. In bigger households it was still common to employ a maidservant, who was specifically in charge of the kitchen.
With the Frankfurt Kitchen the design should shorten the worksteps, be compact and therefore was laid-out for one person only.
But also the design of the kitchen should become more cohesive and harmonious.
Additionally this kitchen was constructed in that way, that it would be ergonomic and affordable for the average family.
The Frankfurter Kitchen included wall cupboards, a combined stove and a working surface in front of the window. The standart colour of the Frankfurt kitchen was supposed to be blue and green, because these colours should detain flies and other insects.
These kitchens were produced in a modular system in a large number in factories, so that it just had to built in by craftsmen. These affected the costs of the kitchen positivly. The costumers were still able to add and adjust the kitchen with extra supplies, which added then to the final price.
However, it was not just perceived positivly by the public. One of the points that were criticized were that it left no space for children and that it did not suit the lifestyle back then. The women and also the whole familiy had first to adapt to this new concept. It was a huge influence on the way of living and familiy hierachy. This kitchen should improve the daily work of the women, so that is would be healthier and less time consuming, so that it would give them more freedom doing other things. Nowadays these kitchen style has become more elaborated and belongs to our daily life.
Except from the Frankfurter Kitchen there were also more experimental designs regarding a new kitchen concept. For example the Modulor kitchen by Le Corbusier or the Swiss in-built kitchen.
Kitchen style around 1900