Deconstructivism and Neomodernism

Lecture Season "The History of Viennese Housing"

The series of lectures "The History of Viennese Housing" is dedicated to the evolution of residential architecture in Vienna from the early 19th century to the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, in the context of the social, political, and urban transformations of the city. Through the analysis of key architectural movements, the course reveals how perceptions of comfort, types of housing, urban environments, and the role of architecture in shaping the everyday lives of city dwellers have changed.

The course systematically examines the periods of Biedermeier, Neo-Renaissance, and the Vienna Secession, as well as the phenomenon of Red Vienna—both in the interpretation of Otto Wagner's students and in the context of Constructivism and the ideological opposition to Black Vienna.

Lecture 7: Deconstructivism and Neo-Modernism

The concluding lecture of the season focuses on the architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when Viennese housing becomes a field for experiments and new architectural strategies. During this time, Vienna becomes a platform for projects by international architects, including Zaha Hadid and Renzo Piano. The lecture discusses new approaches to the reconstruction of industrial complexes and the repurposing of railway areas, the development of Constructivism and Neo-Modernism, and new apartment typologies. It also examines which solutions align with the emerging understanding of multi-apartment buildings as cohesive communities.