Pietre che parlano. Gli Höfe della Vienna socialista

The utopian dimension of the 1920s experience of Red Vienna originates from the close connection between architectural type and language. Through the collective memory the large court blocks (Höfe) are an essential part of urban identity. Examining in a critical way the studies on this topic (Tafuri, 1980 and Hautmann, Hautmann, 1980) and the housing programs (Die Wohnungspolitik der Gemeinde Wien, 1929), we can observe the impact of this experience from an objective point of view, beyond the political and ideological aspects. The re-drawings of plans with the highest graphic homogeneity and the photographic documents of some examples allow us to compare and understand the features of this utopian character. Extrapolating the main principles, it is possible to reflect on the current conditions of the relationship between housing, city and society. To this day the Höfe in Vienna have spatial qualities for the social housing and the community life. For this reason, the objective of the critical analysis is to develop a better understanding of the large court blocks for contemporary housing. In our individualistic society nowadays it is crucial to think about the collective dimension of the city and the social importance of living together in a future perspective.