Am Freihof: soft colours and colour blocking in vernacular architecture

The most prominent feature of this garden village 'Am Freihof' is a curved avenue of trees lined with houses on either side. It is not a formal feature as this wide curved street doesn't connect anything. It does however create a great sense of s[pace at the heart of this housing estate.

In keeping with the design idiom of the Garden City Movement planted verges feature as part of the design. Most are planted with small fruit trees or ornamental blossoming trees. As with other housing estates funded or planned by the Viennese council, this estate has a commemorative text in metal letters attached to the side of one of the houses on the entrance from the through route to the centre of Vienna.

Closes are a way of maximising parcellation. Here the closes are always located at the centre of a block. The houses are placed at the end of a cul-de-sac, often around a small expanse of grass. As a result of the large gardens in this garden village, the closes are placed rather far back. They are thus more isolated incidents than a visual feature.

The houses are typically rendered and painted in soft tones. These tones vary, although the houses in building phase 2 all share these yellow and ochre tones. Large gateways give access from the curved avenue to the streets behind. Here a small garden creates visual interest and also marks the axial shift in the street line.

These houses were built prior to the development of this garden village by two cooperating Building Societies (Baugenossenschaften). They are very similar to the later housing.

Very simple ornamental feature break up the terraces and create interest in the facades. In some buildings the entrances are emphasised by a slightly protruding surround with a moulded edge in a darker colour. Also note the band below the window on the first floor. In other places a difference in colour is used to emphasised the windows and doors by painting a frame around them.

By staggering the building line -another Unwinesque design solution- streets are made to appear shorter. A difference in roof shape and height of the facade is also employed here to create visual interest and variation.

As these are owner-occupied houses, homeowners have put their mark on the building, often by the use of colour. The original pea green has been painted over with pink paint (on the left). Also note the tiny gable end in the pink building, used to break op the long line of the roof. Some buildings have these large concrete frames emphasising some of the entrances. Here with an original floral ornament above the entrance. The awning is a personal addition of the owner.

Around the central square several shops were incorporated into the plan. The rectangular shape is emphasised by the closed facades around. Here the shop fronts on the ground floor are emphasised by the use of brick with the standard yellow render above. Also note the round "tower" in the corner.

Some examples of more elaborate ornamentation around the entrances. The entrances are combined per two and located in a protruding section with ornamental ribbed bands dividing the facade. This secession inspired entrance again features a combined entrance of two homes in a terrace. Her the roof is raised slightly and a panel (slightly recessed) with a generous arc surrounds the doors and the windows of the bathrooms above.

These semidetached properties break up the rows of terraced housing along these typical garden village streets with grass verges planted with blossom trees (Rowans here). Again the awning by the entrance is a later addition. All front gardens were originally planted with a privet hedge.

Some of the details show the architect drew inspiration from modernist buildings as well as vernacular architecture. These flat elongated sections of the facade are a feature in the first two building phases. Sometimes they are used to emphasise a corner where two streets meet. In other places these features are used to break the long facades and roofs of the terraced housing.

The housing of the third building phase features longer terraces with little ornamentation, except for a crimped roof edge and colour blocking around the entrances.

Another example of colour blocking (left). Here the staggered building line is emphasised the squared-off shape and by painting the protruding corner a green colour to contrast with the section of the terrace placed further forward. On the right a more subtle example of colour blocking with a raised panel around the windows in a different colour. Also note the roof trim treatment with small ornamental triangles.

The housing in the last building phase is more plane with little ornamentation. The roofs are typically hipped. But the sections with the entrances have a flat roof with a wide rim in wood.

Gartensiedlung 'Am Freihof'; a text book garden village in Vienna

Apart from the typical Gemeindebau, consisting of urban superblocks around a communal garden court, several housing estates (Siedlungen in German) were built after 1918 on instigation of the Viennese Council that consisted primarily of family housing with private gardens. These estates are known as Gartensiedslungen, as they consist of houses with gardens. This is a misinterpretation of the English term Garden City (as this term was aimed at bridging the gap between an urban and rural living environment). These Gartensiedlungen were without exception, built in the newly annexed outer districts of Vienna. Most can only be reached by bus or, sometimes, tram.

Kagran was a medieval village north of the Danube some 6 kilometres from central Vienna. It was first mentioned in 1199 as Chagaran and comprised of a central village green, the current Kagraner Platz, with some scattered housing around it. East of the green stood a large building from the 1100s onwards: the Freihof Kagran. In 1494 the owner of the building is mentioned as Freiherr von Liechtenstein (a baron). The building was destroyed by plundering Bohemian soldiers in 1619. The present building is the rebuilt version and is now used as a restaurant. This stately building in two storeys with ochre render underneath a mansard roof is distinctly different from the surrounding buildings. On the fields once belonging to this manor house the Gartensiedlung Am Freihof was built. 

Between 1923 and 1927 the Siedlung Am Freihof was developed by the social democrat council of Vienna (Rotes Wien) for housing families that flocked to the city from the countryside. This was not done directly by local government, but via a Baugenossenschaft (a Building Society) that received direct loans and bank guarantees from the city of Vienna. One such building society was founded for this housing estate: Baugenossenschaft Freihofsiedlung. It cooperated with Baugenossenschaft  Mein-Heim in developing this housing estate. The design was made by Karl Schartelmüller along the lines of both Muthesius and Unwinesque principles. As such it is a very German example of a text book garden village (in Austria).

Am Freihof is the largest garden village within Vienna with 1.014 dwellings, several community buildings and diverse amenities. Between 1938 and 1945 is was extended eastwards. This extension fits quite snugly the rest of the garden village as the Stuttgarter Schule (the historicising style of architecture favoured by the Nazi's) also relied heavily on reinterpreting vernacular examples.

For the most part the garden village consists of long curved streets lined by long terraces of row houses with a staggered building line to create visual interest. De houses often have facades partly executed in brick. Also ornamental details are commonly used. In some places gateways and particularised corners a an Unwinesque feature of the housing. The streets lead to a small central square surrounded by higher buildings and shops. As such it is a direct derivative of Muthesius.

The garden village was built in several phases incorporating two older streets (1921). It is best characterised as a social overall concept with a primary school (1), bath house and swimming pool (2), sporting facilities (3), secondary school (4), central square with shops (5) and kindergarten (6). The very Unwinesque spatial layout is striking with axial shifts (*), bayoneting side streets and closes (c).

Urban nature: invading a new homeland

Plants can spread beyond their natural range, or even native country. This can be a gradual and natural process, but in most cases man plays an important part. Some plants favour the specific habitats created by human activity or in our cities. Others are generalists that will happily grow anywhere or can explore a specific niche. There are also plants that are introduced by humans and makes themselves quite at home, escaping cultivation. There is another category: the truly invasive species that have become established in their new homeland and are taking over forcing out the natural vegetation.

The Butterfly bush (Buddleia) is truly beautiful, and most gardeners wouldn't be without. They are a pioneer species from China that can tolerate drought and quick changes in temperature. Hence is also grows as a pioneer species in our climes, especially on wastelands, derelict sites and along railways. The bushes can overtake such a site completely. The flowers are typically the wild lilac pink colour. I even spotted plants growing in the Antwerp Harbour on "Het Eilandje".

Another plant favoured for its large flowers is the Himalayan Balsam Weed (Impatiens glandulifera) also known as Copper's Helmets. This tall annual originated in the Himalaya and comes in a range of colours. It was first grown as an ornamental, but quickly escaped cultivation and can now be found throughout the northern hemisphere. In the Benelux is mainly grows in moist and wet often shady places. In the shade it isn't very problematic, but in full sun it tends to outcompete native perennial species.

The plant that can put fear into even the calmest of estate agents and project developers is Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica). This plant originates in East Asia and was introduced by the Victorians in to parks and gardens as a tall decorative. It was first collected by Von Siebold in Japan and brought to Leiden. Although resembling a bush it is a perennial that makes arching stems from a rhizome. It has such a bad reputation as it is difficult to get rid of and even a small section of root left behind can regrow a large stand. It is capable of pushing up through concrete and asphalt (shown left). The plant smothers everything so nothing else will grow. Roots go down as far as 3 metres, so spraying with a herbicide often only has temporary results. It also produces large amounts of creamy white flowers in late summer and early autumn. It can reproduces from seed, but is mostly spread by ignorant people moving soil or green waste containing rhizomes. This plant is one of the most invasive species in temperate climates!

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.