Werkbundsiedlung Vienna 1932

The Werkbund Housing Estate in Lainz was an exhibition of international modern living that drew over 100,000 visitors. With Joseph Frank responsible for the master plan of this international exhibition for residential construction, 30 Austrian and international architects, including Richard Neutra and Ernst Plischke, designed 70 fully furnished show houses. The exhibition advertised new concepts for living and the use of space; a manifesto of a social and aesthetic utopia for a better life born from the spirit of Modernism.

An Answer to “Red Vienna”
The Werkbund Estate was also meant as a reply to the residential building programme of “Red Vienna”, the Socialist government of the city. But despite being a great success with the public, the effect was reduced by the political events taking place. On the occasion of the estate’s 80th birthday the Wien Museum presents not only the history of the Werkbund using plans, models, drawings, photographs and interior decorations, but also examines the fate of its inhabitants and problems of its use today and preservation.

Curator:
Andreas Nierhaus, Eva-Maria Orosz

Exhibition architecture:
polar

Graphic:

Fuhrer, Wien
 

In September 2012, the City of Vienna - Business Group for Housing, Housing Construction and Urban Renewal set up a "virtual museum" for the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung under the domain www.werkbundsiedlung-wien.at, which also has an on-site information point. The content is also available as a free app download and also includes a “highlight tour” in audio format.

Web tip:

www.thillmann-collection.de