City of the child

City of the child in Vienna - Penzing

Painted house facade

The city of the child was from 1974 to 2002 a home for vulnerable children and young people of the city of Vienna . The realization by architect Anton Schweighofer was partially demolished in 2008. The remaining part was transformed into a residential complex.

history

Establishment

The City of the Child was an initiative of the City of Vienna in 1968 on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Austria. The socio-educational concept was developed together with the city councilor for welfare, Maria Jacobi . The competition was won in 1969 by the architect Anton Schweighofer with a solution that integrated the public sharing of communal facilities by the residents of the Weidlingau district . The realization was a showcase project in terms of educational reform and architecture, which received a lot of international attention. It was officially opened on June 28, 1974.

Closure in 2002

In the course of the Viennese home reform with the focus on the formation of residential communities for children and young people who live anonymously in the city, all homes in the city of Vienna, including the city of children in 2002 , were closed. Addresses should not be recognizable for other house parties and neighbors, or for classmates and employers.

Reuse

After the Federal Monuments Office did not accept that it was worthy of protection, the new property owner examined the possibilities of developing a new use with the legal conditions of the subsidized residential building in an expert procedure as part of a development proposal with architects. The probable realization of the subsequent use envisaged a partial demolition of the city of the child , the necessary change to the owner agreement was decided in 2008 in the Vienna City Council. The partial demolition began on August 25, 2008.

In protest against the demolition of the building complex called a “jewel of modern architecture” by a UNESCO commission of experts, which includes a theater, a swimming pool, a large gym and many small rooms that are predestined for conversion to a communal housing project, the majority occupied "Freiraum" group consisting of architecture students temporarily moved the building on the night of September 6th to 7th, 2008.

Concept of the city of the child

Socio-educational

For foster children of the City of Vienna who were in the care of the city until they were able to work, the project of an open structure was developed as an alternative to the existing closed homes. The children did not live here as a marginalized group, but in a more open situation in a district center.

Architectural

The proposal of the architect Schweighofer to keep the Ledererschlössel of the building site and to use it as a management building, among other things, was denied by the City of Vienna and therefore demolished.

Weidlingau is a rather cut off part on the western edge of the city of Vienna and the design envisaged a district center that is on the one hand an open home for children and young people and on the other hand realizes public facilities such as swimming pool, sports hall and sports field, ceramic workshop, café and theater.

Movie

Memories of the City of Children (2011), documentary by Marco Antoniazzi

Individual evidence

^ Architekturzentrum Wien Martina Frühwirth, Gabriele Kaiser: Presentation of the realization, 1979.
↑ Home to 260 young people. “City of the Child” opened . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna June 29, 1974, p. 05 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
↑ Architect Stelzhammer design 2003 - 1st prize - Client: ARWAG, Mischek.
^ Die Presse Gerhard Bitzan: Housing is being built on the site. To do this, however, three of five existing residential buildings have to be demolished. June 6, 2008
^ ORF Vienna Chronicle City of the Child: Demolition started on August 25, 2008
^ Christian Schreibmüller: Only under protest. Profil , vol. 39, no. 40, September 29, 2008, supplement "profil extra", p. 4
↑ Falter ( Memento of the original from January 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Stefan Apfl: A child from the 9th family (report from a person affected). July 23, 2008 @1@ 2

^ "Memories of the City of Children" at Diagonale 2011. Retrieved on April 17, 2018 .

Web links

Commons : City of the Child - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

48.207638888889 16.212416666667Coordinates: 48 ° 12 ′ 27.5 " N , 16 ° 12 ′ 44.7" E

[1] Architekturzentrum Wien Martina Frühwirth, Gabriele Kaiser: Presentation of the realization, 1979.

[2] Home to 260 young people. “City of the Child” opened . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna June 29, 1974, p. 05 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).

[3] Architect Stelzhammer design 2003 - 1st prize - Client: ARWAG, Mischek.

[4] Die Presse Gerhard Bitzan: Housing is being built on the site. To do this, however, three of five existing residential buildings have to be demolished. June 6, 2008

[5] ORF Vienna Chronicle City of the Child: Demolition started on August 25, 2008

[6] Christian Schreibmüller: Only under protest. Profil , vol. 39, no. 40, September 29, 2008, supplement "profil extra", p. 4

[7] Falter ( Memento of the original from January 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Stefan Apfl: A child from the 9th family (report from a person affected). July 23, 2008 @1@ 2

[8] "Memories of the City of Children" at Diagonale 2011. Retrieved on April 17, 2018 .