Werkbund Siedlung, Vienna

In 1907 the Deutscher Werkbund (German Association of Workmen) was founded in Munich on the instigation of Hermann Muthesius. Muthesius (1861-1927), a former diplomat, is also known for his book Das Englische Haus (1904) promoting the ideas of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Germany. He published many articles on architecture emphasizing functionality, understated design, honesty in the use of materials and modesty on behalf of the architect. He also sought to introduce a sense of craftsmanship to industrial design, something he saw as of national economic benefit. From his stance on design it was no great leap to setting up the Werkbund which was aimed at bringing the highest standards of design and construction to mass-produced industrial output. The Werkbund should not be seen as an artistic movement.

Although the Werkbund was founded to further the cooperation between manufacturers and designers, it quickly became a major factor in the development of modernist architecture and industrial design, especially through the Bauhaus school for applied design. The cooperative of architects, artists and (grafic) designers that was the Werkbund existed until 1934.

The Werkbund was famous for the building expositions it organised. Incited by  the earlier expo's in Stuttgart (1927) and Breslau (1931) and examples of housing estates built in the modernist idiom in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, Vienna was chosen to host a building exposition. The project was lead by Josef Frank who also selected the architects and designers that would take part. In total 31 architects were selected. Most built more than 1 house (often two, sometimes a small series). The architects taking part in the building expo were: H Wagner - Freynsheim (01), Otto Breuer (02), Josef F. Dex (03), A. Grünberger (04), G. Schütte - Lihotzky (05), M. Fellerer (06), J. Groag (07), Hugo Gorge (08), Ernst Lichtblau (09), Oswald Haerdtl (10), J. Wenzel (11), E. Plischke (12), J. Jirasek (13), O. Wisch (14), W. Sobotka (15), André Lurçat (16), Josef Hoffmann (17), R. Bauer (18), (Hugo Häring 19), Oskar Strnad (20), Anton Brenner (21), Josef Frank (22), Bieber & Niedermoser (23), Walter Loos (24), E. Wachberger (25), C. Holzmeister (26), Gerrit Rietveld (27), B. Guevrekian (28), Adolf Loos (29), H. Vetter (30) and Richard Neutra (31).

On a triangular piece of land bound on two sides by preexisting streets the Werkbund Siedlung was constructed in little under a year. The houses follow the lines of the street on the outside. The internal streets are short and jagged. The buildings here are often designed to be viewed from more than one angle. The layout is very basic, without an underlying idea on  the placement of the blocks.

In the summer of 1932, during the course of two months, 71 model homes complete fitted with furniture and appliances were open to the public. The aim of the building expo was to present an exemplary palette of modern types of houses and domestic culture for future housing estates. Although the original intention was to sell off the houses after the building expo, the Austrian public proved conservative so the houses were taken over by the city of Vienna. They are still part of the cities stock of rental accommodation.

The small neighbourhood on the outskirts of Vienna was named Werkbund Siedlung. It consists of 71 dwellings. As a result of WW2 65 original buildings remain, 6 were lost. The devastated houses (shown with a red outline) have not been rebuilt. Instead new houses in a similar style were built between 1948 an 1952. The whole housing estate has heritage status and is mostly in good condition. This is aided by the fact that there is a single owner: the municipal housing coop of Vienna. One house has been turned into a museum.