Building with prefabricated panels—now commonly referred to as “Plattenbau”—did not only have a major impact on the GDR. There were—and still are—numerous buildings of this type in West Germany as well. Countless apartments were built using this construction method, particularly from the 1960s through the 1980s. But why was this style of construction chosen? What were the advantages, and what were the disadvantages? What was it like to live in a “Platte,” and why do these buildings have such a poor reputation?

 Today, there is once again an urgent need for many new apartments. The focus is on modular, serial construction. So does the “Platte” have a future? This catalog, featuring new research on the topic, accompanies the exhibition “PLATTE OST/WEST. Living and Building in the Large-Panel Construction Style” at the Dresden City Museum, which is also on view at the Baukunstarchiv NRW in Dortmund.