Tuesday 2 August 2016

Remarkable Heritage

En passent, while riding my bike, this housing complex caught my eyes. It is a remarkable estate which dates back to the late 1920's. It was the time between the wars, when the so called "Red Vienna" offered housing space for a vast number of people in Vienna - approx 63.000 aparments have been built during those years.

Social housing in Vienna, a remarkable heritage, dating back to the late 1920's

The city of Vienna looks after those estates, not long ago they funded a project for keeping records, very useful for curious people (in German only). Those large housing complexes carry names, just like large ships. The one above is named Somogyihof, after the Hungarian writer Béla Somogyi (1868–1920)

Brick facade with a capital X

The reason why I stopped, went back a few metres and took some photos is the way the architect Heinrich Schmid jun. worked with the bricks. It is not common in Vienna. In Hamburg the decorative (klinker) brick facades are a familiar sight in the "Kontorviertel", a district where you find old office buildings, a district I am very fond of.

Not exactly "Kontorviertel" but still: bricks, Hamburg, LOVE! aka "Speicherstadt" (09/2013)

Good to know there is still a lot waiting for me to be discovered in my home town city, within environmental friendly bicycle-riding distance. What a win-win.


Happy discoveries to you,
Paula

PS: I'd like to continue on this path: posting twice a week. Keeping my fingers crossed, with a capital X.  

8 comments:

  1. Schick. Ja, es gibt immer wieder noch Ecken in der eigenen Stadt zu entdecken. Ich plane für nächstes Jahr auch mal einen "Städtetrip Stuttgart" ein - ich vermisse mein Stuttgart als Stadt. Mit der Ghetto-Stadt werde ich immer noch nicht warm - ich kenne nur mein Viertel hier und sonst nüscht. -.-

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  2. tra la la la ... http://www.zeit.de/kultur/2016-07/le-corbusier-unesco-weltkulturerbe-stuttgart-weissenhofsiedlung
    :-)

    hui, da findet sich auch eine ganz schön kontroverse Diskussion unter dem ZEIT-Artikel.

    ad Viertel: der Trampelpfad hier ist (auch) ziemlich ausgetreten: Arbeit-Wohnung-Arbeit-...

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  3. These shots are great! I love the detail in the architecture. That last shot is awesome! I love the dim lighting accented by the warm artificial lighting. It has such a mood. Thank you also for the history lesson!

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  4. Fascinating architecture, it will be good to explore Vienna through your choice of images. The final photo is interesting with the older buildings on the bridge dwarfed by more recent development.

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    Replies
    1. This year's staycation turns my focus towards Vienna. Which is going to be a pleasant journey.

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