Beehive Houses and Superblocks – Life and Living Conditions in Vienna circa 1900

This time our voyage of discovery at the Architekturzentrum Wien guides us into the bustle of the metropolis of Vienna around 1900, when the U6 was still the Stadtbahn (metropolitan line) and the U4 was called the Donaukanallinie (Danube canal line).

At that time many people were still so poor they rented bed space (called ‘Bettgeher’) and in the sub-standard apartments people had to go out onto the corridor to fetch water in a jug… The period is also marked by a large number of new developments and achievements; this is where the roots of modern architecture are to be found.

Interestingly arranged stops in the tour tempt the visitor to actively discover and experience things for themselves. In the practical session that follows the guided tour of the exhibition children are set the task of planning a building for an empty lot in the centre of town.

Further Dates:

Sat 15.05.2004, Sat 26.06.04, 03:00 pm – 05:00 pm