043 Housing Pilotengasse – Herzog & de Meuron

Project: 1987-1988
Realization: 1989-1992

Taking the site of a former flat agricultural field surrounded by small farmyards and suburban villas, some 200 terraced houses and free-standing units were arranged along a slightly convex central space. The site plan was developed with Adolf Krischanitz and Otto Steidle, who each designed about a third of the units, merging them within the overall lay-out. The distribution of the low-rise houses together with the longitudinal and lateral passages were intended to underline the flatness of the site. The curving external spaces help to give specificity to the terraced houses while at the same time emphasize the unity of the scheme.

Herzog & de Meuron pursued essentially three house types. One type is an L-shaped unit that encloses a more intimate, private garden by the one an a half-storey studio wing. The lower ground floor, designated as a workshop, could be used as an additional living room. Another type is a rectangular unit that has all the services contained in a slot placed to one side together with a winding staircase, whereas the last type is organised around a single-flight stair that, with the guest WC and a store, forms a core at the upper ground floor.

The exterior finishes were originally to have been alternating vertical stripes of smooth and rough self-coloured plaster render. Later on, this idea was dropped for reasons of production technology in favour of a concept that was to have left the surfaces and materials in their own colour (unfinished external render), and Federle only permitted the coat of paint as “protection“ to balustrades and window frames. In the end all façade surfaces were painted with the colour of the bearing material, contrary to the intention of Herzog & de Meuron and the artist Federle.

Herzog & de Meuron, 1994

Drawings

Team

Partners: Jacques Herzog; Pierre de Meuron
Project Team: Gerold Wiederin (Project Architect)

Facts

In Collaboration With: Adolf Krischanitz (Vienna), Otto Steidle (Munich)
Client: Österreichisches Siedlungswerk
Planning: Construction Management: Peter Hirn, Vienna, Austria; Structural Engineering (Statics Planning): Dipl. Ing. Röder, Vienna, Austria; Electrical Planning: Gross, Vienna, Austria; Sanitary Planning: Ing. Hiessberger, Vienna, Austria; HVAC (Climate Control Design): Ing. Hiessberger, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Specialist / Consulting: Color Concept: Helmut Federle, Vienna, Austria; Building Physics: Dipl. Ing. Dworak, Vienna, Austria
Building Data: Site Area: 642'066 sqft, 59'650 sqm; Gross floor area (GFA): 281'777 sqft, 26'178 sqm; Footprint: 157'185 sqft, 14'603 sqm

Bibliography

Fernando Márquez Cecilia, Richard Levene (Eds.): “El Croquis. Herzog & de Meuron 1981-2000. Between the Face and the Landscape. The Cunning of Cosmetics. Entre el Rostro y el Paisaje. La Astucia de la Cosmética.” 2nd adv. and rev. ed. Vol. No. 60+84, Madrid, El Croquis, 2005.

“Herzog & de Meuron. Natural History.” Edited by: Philip Ursprung. Exh. Cat. Herzog & de Meuron. Archaeology of the Mind. Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. 23 October 2002 – 6 April 2003. 2nd ed. Baden, Lars Müller, 2005.

Wilfried Wang: “Herzog & de Meuron.” 3rd adv. and rev. ed. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1998. (= Studiopaperback).

Gerhard Mack, Herzog & de Meuron: “Herzog & de Meuron 1978-1988. Das Gesamtwerk. Band 1. The Complete Works. Volume 1.” Edited by: Gerhard Mack. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1997. Vol. No. 1.

Dietmar Steiner, Arthur Rüegg, Martin Steinmann: “Siedlung Pilotengasse Wien. Herzog & de Meuron, Steidle + Partner, Adolf Krischanitz.” Zurich / Munich / London, Artemis, 1992.

Dorothee Huber: “Mimik und Gestik. Der Beitrag von Herzog & de Meuron.” In: “Siedlung Pilotengasse Wien. Herzog & de Meuron, Steidle + Partner, Adolf Krischanitz.” Zurich / Munich / London, Artemis, 1992. pp. 43-58.

Jacques Herzog: “Die verborgene Geometrie der Natur. The Hidden Geometry of Nature.” In: Gerhard Mack (Ed.). “Herzog & de Meuron 1978-1988. Das Gesamtwerk. Band 1. The Complete Works. Volume 1.” Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1997. Vol. No. 1. pp. 207-211. First published in: Jacques Herzog: “La Geometria oculta de la Naturalesa. The Hidden Geometry of Nature.”
In: Josep Lluís Mateo (Ed.). “Quaderns d’Arquitectura i Urbanisme. Geogafies. Geographies.” Vol. No. 181/182, Barcelona, Col-legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya. Association of Catalan Architects, 09.1989. pp. 96-109.

Walter M. Chramosta: “10 Ansätze im zeitgenössischen Wiener Wohnbau.” In: Compress Verlagsges. m. b. H. (Ed.). “Perspektiven. Magazin für Stadtgestaltung und Lebensqualität. Der neue Wiener Wohnbau.” Vol. No. 7/8, Vienna, Compress Verlagsges. m. b. H., 1988. pp. 46-58.

Dietmar Steiner: “Wohnsiedlung Pilotenweg.” In: Dietmar Steiner (Ed.). “Die Kultur des Wohnens.” Vienna, Edition Atelier, 1988. (= Werkstatt. Metropole Wien). Vol. No. 2. pp. 108-119.