Tectonics of the hybrid: Constructing the Viennese Gründerzeit

Abstract

This research investigates hybrid forms of construction. It tries to inform contemporary architectural practice by examining the buildings of an exemplary historical period that emphasized heterogeneous constructions to realize the needs of a rapidly growing city. In focus is the Gründerzeit period in Vienna (1848–1918), a time of urban expansion that resulted in a large number of buildings, many of which are still in use today. The study investigates how these structures were conceived, constructed, and materialized, with particular attention to their structural and ecological implications. Three exemplary tenement buildings from different phases of the Gründerzeit are examined in detail. It is discussed how these buildings, despite their consistent and pragmatic structural logic, allowed for a heterogeneous material culture that could react to the ongoing transitions in building culture and integrate technological innovations without losing their inherent qualities.