Österreichischer Werkbund

The Austrian Werkbund wanted to join art, crafts and industry according to the German Werkbund. The biggest architectural programme was realised with the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung.

As part of the "Red Vienna"-movement the housing estate of the "Werkbund" was intended to illustrate, in addition to municipal buildings and apartment building of modernist styles, how terraced housing with small gardens can be solved. On this website are all important information about the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung.

The model for this settlement, as well as others in Europe, was the housing estate Stuttgart-Weißenhof. Like in Stuttgart international architects were sought and permitted in Vienna. In contrast to Stuttgart, where the German Werkbund and the international architects wanted to demonstrate industrial pre-production and rationalisation, the approach in Vienna was to build on an area as small as possible. This is still interesting for today's environmental issues. Because if less area is sealed, the more space can be used for something else, like a garden. This makes it possible for water to seep away, for green areas to be created, that allows water to circulate, lowers the temperature and improves the air.

Although the Werkbund made an attempt to offer people with a low income a place to live outside the large apartment buildings, the houses of the Werkbundsiedlung were too expensive. Even the middle classes had little interest in buying. As a result, only 14 of a total of 70 houses were sold. The 56 unsold houses were bought by the City of Vienna, as a result of which the settlement is listed as social housing of the City of Vienna.