Rosenthalstraße 12, Industrial building in Amberg, Germany
Rosenthalstraße 12 is an industrial structure in Amberg featuring a 100-meter-long smelting furnace hall with light-grey concrete stepped roofs and continuous ribbon windows. The facility was designed for glass production and still operates today for manufacturing, while its original architectural elements remain intact.
Walter Gropius designed this building in 1970 as his final architectural project, working together with The Architects Collaborative and partner Alex Cvijanovic. The project represented a significant moment in modern industrial architecture at the end of a defining career.
The building is called the Glass Cathedral because of its triangular gable and its church-like appearance, reflecting how people saw industrial design in that era. Visitors immediately notice this distinctive shape when they approach the site.
The site sits within a valley, so mainly the roofs and prominent gabled hall are visible from outside. The best views of the structure can be found from the surrounding green areas in the Bergsteig district, where the architecture contrasts with the landscape.
The design by Gropius for this site shows his late shift toward massive geometric forms that differ markedly from his earlier organic designs. Seeing this style change in his final work offers observers a rare view of how a pioneer's approach evolved over time.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
