PAHL, Pius Edmund

Architect

Born in Germany and qualified in interior architecture before going on to architecture - first at Karlsruhe and then the Bauhaus. He worked in Switzerland and Germany before the war.

The Bauhaus and Modern Movement are known to most vicariously, but for Pius PAHL they are part of his fibre. He was at the Bauhaus when it was closed in 1933. Hilberseimer was the town planner professor and Mies van der Rohe was its architectural director. After the war he started his own practice in Ludwigshafen and Mainz, and taught at the Mainz School of Architecture. In 1952 he emigrated to South Africa with his South African born wife, since when he has run his own practice in Stellenbosch. He has taught for a while at the Cape Town School of Architecture.

(Hugh Floyd in UIA, 1985: 61)

Recipient of the Gold Medal Award from the South African Institute of Architects in 2001.

Letter written to the Institute of South African Architects.

                                          c/o Keet, Green and Lochner
                                            P.O. Box 180
                                              Stellenbosch
                                                18th April, 1953.

The Registrar
Institute of S.A. Architects
P.O. Box 7322
Johannesburg

Dear Sir,

I immigrated to South Africa in July of last year, and since then I have been employed by Keet, Green and Lochner, architects in Stellenbosch.

Enclosed herein please find an outline of my career, wherein I have given details of my architectural education and my subsequent professional experience. You will note that I am a graduate of the Bauhaus, under the tutorship of Mies van der Rohe, considered by many to be the best academy of architectural education in Europe.

After this I worked in the offices of several prominent European architects in Germany and Switzerland. After the war I ran my own office, in addition to being Baurat (equivalent to professor) of a school of Architecture and Art. In addition to this I was elected to certain select societies (e.g. German Academy and German Werkbund) all concerned with the furtherance of architecture, town planning and architectural education. I also took part in many competitions and gained first prize in the biggest competition ever held in Germany, namely the Rappbodesperre* with power-station, swimmingpool, recreation centre, settlement etc.

I have testimonials, certificates, drawings, and photographs to substantiate all the above statements.

I wish to become a member of the Institute of South African Architects, and feel that in view of my past experience I might be entitled to exemption from redoing the whole of the Qualifying Examination in terms of the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Private Act. I wish to point out that I am a married man with a wife and 5 children (all of school-going age) to provide for and thus it would be impossible to attend classes.

Hoping that my application will receive your favourable attention.

                                          I remain
                                            Yours faithfully
                                            [signature]
                                            Pius E. P a h l

*Footnote:
PAHL refers - in the above letter - to the Rappbodesperre Competition. The Rappbode is a river in the Harz district in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. The outcome of the Competition was a substantial concrete dam, water purification works, hydro-electric power plant and ancillary structures. Construction work commenced in 1952. The main dam is the highest in Germany and blocks the Rappbode and Hassel rivers. (William Martinson)

List of projects

With photographs
With notes

140 Residences: 1980. Khomasdal, Windhoek, Namibia - Architect

Blinkwater Flats: 1963. Strand, Western Cape - Architect

Box House: n.d.. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Büros Victory Mills: 1977. Worcester, Western Cape - Architect

Caravan Park: 1975. Hermanus, Western Cape - Architect

Cathedral: 1976. Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal - Architect

Church: 1967. Knysna, Western Cape - Architect

Community Centre: 1983. uMnambithi (Ladysmith), KwaZulu-Natal - Architect

Community Centre: 1969. Worcester, Western Cape - Architect

Continental Butchery: 1954. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Cywes Commercial and Residential Building: 1955. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Farmhouse for Mr G Christie: pre 1954. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Farmhouse for Mr Spottiswoode: pre 1954. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Farmhouse Tang: 1958. Grabouw, Western Cape - Architect

Garage with showroom and 20 flats: 1954. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

German School with Boarding Hostels: 1955. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

Hoechst S.A.: 1969. Milnerton, Western Cape - Architect

Holiday House Droome: 1970. Vermont, Western Cape - Architect

Holiday House Jaubert: 1987. Elands Bay - Elandsbaai, Western Cape - Architect

Holiday House Laubser: 1972. Betty's Bay, Western Cape - Architect

Holiday House Reinecke: 1970. Albertinia, Western Cape - Architect

House Archer: 1971. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Bester: 1959. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Bix: 1976. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Botha: n.d.. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Bouckert: 1976. Paarl, Western Cape - Architect

House Brink: 1964. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Carstens: 1987. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Coetsee: 1969. Uniepark, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Dessau: 1933. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Droom: 1981. Worcester, Western Cape - Architect

House du Toit: 1870. Paarl, Western Cape - Architect

House Du Toit: 1956. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Erlank: 1954. Krigeville, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Ferreira: 1965. Robertson, Western Cape - Architect

House Fourie: 1961. Paarl, Western Cape - Architect

House Friedlander: 1955. Krigeville, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Haydorn: 1954. Krigeville, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Heller: 1964. Paarl, Western Cape - Architect

House Heyns: 1956. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Hofmeyer: 1974. Somerset West, Western Cape - Architect

House Hoogenhout: 1958. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Hubregtse: 1964. Paarl, Western Cape - Architect

House Jal Smit: 1983. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Jansen: 1966. Constantia, Western Cape - Architect

House Jordan: 1953. Dalsig, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Kappelhof: 1957. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Kleinhans: 1965. Caledon, Western Cape - Architect

House Koltz: 1974. Bantry Bay, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

House Kruger: 1964. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Krüger: 1964. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Lubbe: 1956. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Malan: 1953. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Maske: 1957. Dalsig, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Muller: 1954. Hermanus, Western Cape - Architect

House P.E. Pahl: 1954. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Patterson: 1958. Somerset West, Western Cape - Architect

House Pauw: 1958. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Peters: 1959. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

House Pieper: 1980. Clifton, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

House Plougmann: 1971. Somerset West, Western Cape - Architect

House Reinecke: 1980. Wilderness, Western Cape - Architect

House Roos: 1960. Somerset West, Western Cape - Architect

House Ruthren: 1983. Hermanus, Western Cape - Architect

House Ryke: 1959. Grabouw, Western Cape - Architect

House Ryke: 1963. Grabouw, Western Cape - Architect

House Schoonees: 1971. Durbanville, Western Cape - Architect

House Schoonees: 1976. Hermanus, Western Cape - Architect

House Schröder: 1966. Somerset West, Western Cape - Architect

House Schwiegers: 1988. Dalsig, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Scully: 1981. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Semmering: 1955. Fonteintjiesdorp, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Straszacker: 1955. Krigeville, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Struwig: 1962. Parow, Western Cape - Architect

House Sugerman: 1968. Constantia, Western Cape - Architect

House Taljaard: 1960. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House Trümpelmann: 1954. Krigeville, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House v d Heyden: 1988. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House van Aarde: 1970. Welgelegen, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

House van der Horst: 1982. Rondebosch, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

House van Heerden: 1970. Bredasdorp, Western Cape - Architect

House van Tonder: 1957. Milnerton, Western Cape - Architect

House Whitfield: 1970. Somerset West, Western Cape - Architect

House Williams: 1968. Uniepark, Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Joinery, Showrooms, Flat: 1954. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

La Corniche: 1959. Clifton, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect attributed

Lutheran Church: 1959. Bellville, Western Cape - Architect

Pahl Holiday House: 1966. Betty's Bay, Western Cape - Architect

Park Primary School: 1968. Mossel Bay, Western Cape - Architect

Presbyterian Church: 1972. Durbanville, Western Cape - Architect

Rhenish Primary School: 1974. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Rusbank Gallery: 1967. Worcester, Western Cape - Architect

School: 1962. Elgin, Western Cape - Architect

Secondary School: 1978. Okakaraka, Namibia - Architect

Shoe Factory: pre 1954. Strand, Western Cape - Architect

St Martini Gardens: 1959. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

Stellenbosch House: 1983. Stellenbosch, Western Cape - Architect

Valhalla Flats: 1959. Clifton, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect

van der Horst Holiday House - Waterplaats: 1994. Betty's Bay, Western Cape - Architect

Weaving Factory: pre 1954. Strand, Western Cape - Architect

Books citing PAHL

Beck, Haig (Editor). 1985. UIA International Architect : Southern Africa (Issue 8). London: International Architect. pp 60