Karl Marx Hof: a monumental example of social(ist) housing

As the longest single apartment building in the world and as an excellent example of Rotes Wien, the Karl-Marx-Hof in Vienna draws many tourists and professional planners and architects to admire this monumental Gartenhof complex. It isn't a museum for social housing, however, it is a functioning housing complex run by the city of Vienna.

Beyond this imposing facade along the central garden square (that has the size of a small park) one can reach the station behind via the large arched gateways. Together with the tower-like extensions above each gateway these passages are indicated from afar. Also the facade acquires a sculptural quality by this design device.

The rendered facades on the west side have been painted in two complementary earth tones. The darker sienna is used for the lower sections with a lighter ochre above. Also the architect playfully used protruding sections to make the facades more lively and give the building scale. As with all "Gemeindebauten" a dedication commemorates the erection of the complex by the council of Vienna (shown on the right).

 

Looking back from underneath one of the arched gateways across the 12 Februar Platz. This large garden square is used as a public green space. It now has a large parking garage underneath it. Initially the complex was envisaged for the working classes who at that time couldn't afford a car, but instead relied on the bicycle and public transport. Hence also the location next to a train station and the lack of car parking facilities.

Above each of the arched gateways a sculpture by Josef Franz Riedl (Vienna 1884-1965) provides some ornamentation in this otherwise almost modernist building. On the left the second of a series of 4 allegories: Physical culture - Liberation - Education - Child welfare. The fortress-like towers create an image complementary to the intended message that this was a bastion for social(ist) housing.

On the back side the facades have large balconies with central well-lit stairwell in between to give the long building a pleasant rhythm. Also note how the uppermost balcony runs straight from the protruding stairwell block whilst the lower balconies swerve out via an elegant curve.

In other places the balconies are located on the inside along one of the garden courts (Gartenhöfe). So on the outside the building looks far less accessible with contrasting protruding section connected by an elevated walkway. Ornamental gates give access to the inner courtyard gardens. These close after dark, but during the day they are open to visitors.

The green courtyards are basically large park-like green spaces enveloped by the building. This is called a Gartenhof in German. The name literally means "garden court". Although not immediately obvious these complexes belong to a specific strain of the garden city movement intent on creating large-scale housing complexes with lots of open green space by stacking housing in these midrise apartment complexes. Only 18,5% of the site was built over, the rest remained green space for the residents.

The sculptural entrances are all numbered and all look similar. They are placed along the inner facade along the garden court at regular intervals. Each one gives access to a shared stairwell. Within the large central green spaces amenities were provided that needed a separate building. They included a laundry, a bathhouse, a kindergarten (shown here) and a primary school.

The primary school was designed in the same cubist idiom as the whole complex and the other amenity buildings within. The result is an architecturally well-balanced ensemble that still evokes optimism and forward thinking, even today. This school has great affinity with the work of several modernist Dutch architects that designed in brick cubism.