In Vienna, an exhibition about the Werkbundsiedlung settlement has begun

Exhibition poster 'Werkbundsiedlung', 1932

The Museum of the City of Vienna has launched an exhibition about a unique architectural achievement of the 1930s, the "Werkbundsiedlung" settlement. In 1932, a unique complex of family, terraced, and apartment houses was opened in the green district of Lainz in Vienna. Over the following 8 weeks, the general public could view the "largest architectural exhibition in Europe" (as described by one of the contemporary comments). More than 100,000 visitors showed interest in the "manifesto of new living."
The project was led by Josef Frank, and it was shaped by the contributions of 31 architects from Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA. Numerous interior designers participated in the realization. The project was intended to serve as a model for newly emerging residential areas set in greenery. It was a response to the construction program of "Red Vienna." Against the residential "super-blocks" in the city center (such as Karl Marx Hof), Josef Frank constructed apartment, family, and terraced houses, integrating them into greenery. The project is characterized by individual and flexible interior designs and a rejection of a uniform concept. It is a testament to the non-dogmatic modernity that Josef Frank promoted.
The current exhibition about this unique interwar architectural project at the Museum of the City of Vienna may attract visitors to the autumn-colored fields of Lainzer Tiergarten. The museum has prepared a rich accompanying program.
A selection of world-renowned architects and creators of "Werkbundsiedlung": Otto Breuer, Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, Margarete Schütte Lihotzky, and many others.

The exhibition will last until January 13, 2013
Wien Museum Karlsplatz, 1040 Vienna
www.wienmuseum.at