The Werkbund Housing Estate in Vienna is a model housing development opened in 1932 in the Lainz area of the 13th district, Hietzing. Today, it is largely owned by the City of Vienna. Of the originally 70, now 64, single-family houses, 31 architects from Austria and abroad participated in the project, including one female architect. At the time of its opening, the estate was described as the “largest building exhibition in Europe.”

The complex is listed as a protected historic monument and is also designated by the City of Vienna as a protected architectural zone.

Location

At the time of its construction, the estate was located on the western edge of the built-up urban area, south of the Girzenberg–Roter Berg ridge, an outlier of the Vienna Woods. Since then, the surrounding area—mostly consisting of single- and multi-family houses set amid lawn areas—has been largely developed, while Girzenberg and Roter Berg have been preserved largely undeveloped as protected natural areas.

To the north, the estate is bordered by Veitingergasse, which runs east–west; beyond it lie Girzenberg (285 m) and Roter Berg (262 m).
The southwestern boundary is Jagdschlossgasse, which branches off westward from Veitingergasse. Bus lines 54A and 54B operate along this street, with a stop near the intersection of Gobergasse and Jagicgasse, providing the only public transport access in the immediate vicinity.
To the east, the estate is partially bordered by Jagićgasse; elsewhere, as in the south, it adjoins private neighboring properties.

Engelbrechtweg, Jagićgasse, and Woinovichgasse—access roads within the estate—were officially named in 1936 and therefore do not appear under these names in the original site plans from the construction period.

Origins

The Werkbund Housing Estate—modeled on the Weißenhof Estate built in Stuttgart in 1927—was originally intended to be constructed on a site at Triester Straße 85, then on the edge of the working-class district of Favoriten (10th district). Two development plans were abandoned because a large municipal housing complex was built nearby, and the organizers did not wish to build “in the shadow” of that project. The replacement site near Roter Berg was largely undeveloped but partially marshy and had to be filled to a height of up to one full story.

Under the artistic direction of architect Josef Frank, a founding member of the Vienna Werkbund who stood for a non-dogmatic modernism, the estate was built between 1930 and 1932. Frank was responsible for the overall spatial layout of the complex, while László Gábor, painter and executive secretary of the Werkbund, developed the color scheme. The client was the municipal housing company Gesiba, headed by its director general Hermann Neubacher, who was also president of the Austrian Werkbund. At the opening on June 4, 1932, speeches were given by Federal President Wilhelm Miklas and Mayor Karl Seitz.

Unlike earlier projects, the Vienna Werkbund Estate focused on “economy in the smallest possible space.” By today’s standards, the houses are indeed very small, but through the functional clarity characteristic of early modernism, meticulous spatial efficiency, and carefully framed views and sightlines, they often convey a surprising sense of spaciousness. Frank sought, among other goals, to encourage the development of architectural typologies, while Neubacher viewed the exhibition as compelling promotion of the architect’s versatility and as evidence that commissioning a qualified architect benefited clients in both quality and cost.

The houses, furnished as model interiors by renowned manufacturers and interior designers, were open to the public from June 4 to August 7, 1932, as part of the International Exhibition / Werkbund Housing Estate. Approximately 100,000 visitors toured the estate during this period, and the international media response was overwhelmingly positive.

Reference List:

Werkbundsiedlung Wien. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved January 19, 2026, from https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werkbundsiedlung_Wien

Note: This text is a translation from German.