The Weissenhof Estate (Weißenhofsiedlung) is one of the most significant collections of modernist architecture in existence — a housing exhibition built in 1927 on a hillside north of Stuttgart city center, with buildings by 17 of the leading architects of the early Modern Movement.
Mies van der Rohe served as artistic director and built the central apartment block; Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret designed two houses (one now functions as a museum); Walter Gropius, Hans Scharoun, J.J.P. Oud, and other luminaries each contributed buildings. The ensemble was built to demonstrate new ideas about social housing — flat roofs, open floor plans, large windows, rational construction. It caused controversy: Stuttgart's conservative municipal government mocked the flat roofs; the Nazis later put fake pitched roofs on several buildings.
Most of the surviving buildings remain as private residences, but the exterior streetscape is freely accessible and forms one of the most remarkable architectural walks in Germany. The Le Corbusier House is open as a museum. The estate is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (as part of the "Contribution of Modern Architecture to the World" listing) and an essential stop for anyone interested in architectural history.