Slats | Purlins | Knots

The Steel-Slat Hall in Dessau that is now used as a boathouse was built in 1930 and is one of the few surviving examples of the system patented by Hugo Junkers. Its characteristic curved steel roof is based on a modular construction system that was an international success because it used many prefabricated elements, was easy to transport and quick to assemble, and was made of robust materials.

The presentation Slats | Purlins | Knots shows this system using the concrete example of the steel-slat hall of the canoe club Junkers Paddelgemeinschaft Dessau e.V. and tells the story of its adventurous exporting: Beginning in 1926, the Junkers delivered a complete aircraft factory with eleven steel-slat halls, furnishings, machines, and know-how from Dessau to Kayseri in central Turkey.

This large-scale project is evidence of a transfer of materials and knowledge from Central Europe to the young Republic of Turkey. At the same time, it shows the limits of the operations of European firms abroad: Many of the projects failed because of misjudgements about the local conditions.

Slats | Purlins | Knots combines the art of engineering, the history of industry, and the global transfer of architecture. The exhibition shows how Junkers technologies crossed the lines between aircraft construction and building and set new standards modular, exportable structures – with varying degrees of success.

Opening:
28 Mar 2026, 11 am in the Bauhaus Building

Location: Junkers Lamellenhalle
Boathouse of the Junkers Paddling Club Dessau
Leopoldshafen 4, 06846 Dessau-Roßlau