He is viewed as the founder of modern objective industrial architecture and modern industrial design.
Behren's AEG Turbine Factory (1908-1909)
what's Behren's importance?
1. the factory building, with its steel-framed structure and large glass windows, is a landmark in the development of modern industrial architecture.
2. AEG presents a new approach to corporate identity, where the company's image was carefully crafted through design, typography, and product aesthetics.
3. behrens is often credited as one of the first industrial designers (he designed not only the factory but also AEG's trademark, products, like kettles and fans, and advertising materials.
4. in a sense behrens's work at AEG demonstrated the potential for artists to contribute to industrial production, not just as decorators, but as integral parts of the design process, shaping products and corporate identity.
5. he contributed the hexagonal trademark of the AEG, its catalogs, and its office stationery, products such as electric fans and street lamps, and retail shops and factories.
added bonus: during this period Walter Gropius, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier worked in his office!