The Fagus factory is a very special world heritage site because the factory is still in operation. The buildings house a production for shoe lasts as well as a museum about the history of the company and shoes in general. The architecture is considered as an example of early modern architecture and was designed by Walter Gropius and Adolf Mayer.
Honestly speaking I’ve never thought about why there is a need for handmade shoe lasts but after a guiding tour through the factory I became a sort of fan of these skills. Due of changes in shoe fashion there is a need of producing new models for shoe lasts every year. Up to the present day it is more efficient to create these models by hand than using computers.
Sources / More info
- Modern Architecture (Wikipedia)
- Fagus factory (Wikipedia)