DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45213#0061
The Swiss Werkbud invited 13 individual architects and architectural studios to take part in the
project. Like a year before at Schorenmatten, August Kunzel acted as site architect for all buildings.
The participants were instructed "to use existing experience, continue the work that had already
begun, and let experimentation reflect the spirit of responsibility."158 The Swiss Werkbund's journal
Das Werk referred to the prospective participants as the "architects who have already shown interest
in designing small flats."159 Le Corbusier, Lauzinger, Lanz, and Wittwer had also been invited but in
the end they did not participate in the project.
The invitation addressed to the prospective participants elucidated the exhibition's program-
matic focus: Affordable Housing. Taking into consideration the current situation on the housing mar-
ket in Basel, the organisers preferred flats which could be let for no more than 800 to 1200 francs for
a single- or two-bedroom flat (average rent on the local market). The guidelines called for flats with
at least "one larger room" or "a larger number of rooms". The idea was to present a comprehensive
picture of current trends in the design of small living spaces in Switzerland. The target customer was
defined as a family with up to 5 children that could afford to spend no more than 1300 francs for
monthly rent. The emphasis was on functionality and modern building technologies.
The completed development comprised of 90 units. The lot was divided into two sections: the
southern one - located between Gotterbarmweg Street and a railway embankment - was occupied
by four-storey tenement houses while the northern part was designated for row-houses. Particularly
worthy of attention was the gallery-access block of flats built from the design of Kellermuller and
Hofmann. As for the detached houses, the 'back-to-back' row-houses by Scherrer and Meyer those
designed by the studio of Artaria & Schmidt stood out, the latter presenting a very consistent ap-
proach to the economical use of space despite certain errors in location and layout. The gallery-ac-
cess block referred to the solution already explored in Karlsruhe and contained only one- and two-
room flats. The floor plans of flats in other tenement houses followed solutions already known from
earlier projects. Found among the row-houses, it was the buildings designed by Hermann Bauer and
A. Hoechl that attracted much interest. The former managed to accommodate a multi-generation
family in 4 rooms (including the living kitchen) on a mere 80 m2 of dwelling area, the latter featured
a bathroom and utility room placed behind the kitchen. The design of H. Barnoulli and A. Kunzel,
with a large studio and the bathroom located in the basement, was praised as being particularly
functional.
All buildings had flat roofs, simple geometric forms and light-coloured elevations set off by
clearly defined openings. The architects commenting on the project emphasised the simplicity and
lightness of the design. With a two-storey arcaded gallery running the entire height of the building
to accentuate the entrance, the tenement house designed by Maurice Braillard was the only one
favouring monumentality. Other designs emphasised functionality and the practical approach was
apparent in the inclusion of utility rooms even in the economical layout of Baur's house.
The exhibition's reception was unanimously positive. The objective of building affordable but
functional flats was achieved. The obvious mistake in the buildings' location, resulted in some houses
158 Johannes CRAMER, Niels GUTSCHOW, op.cit,, p.154.
57
159 'Die Schweizerische Wohnungausstellung 1930, Das H/eA 1929, vol.16, p.244-245.
project. Like a year before at Schorenmatten, August Kunzel acted as site architect for all buildings.
The participants were instructed "to use existing experience, continue the work that had already
begun, and let experimentation reflect the spirit of responsibility."158 The Swiss Werkbund's journal
Das Werk referred to the prospective participants as the "architects who have already shown interest
in designing small flats."159 Le Corbusier, Lauzinger, Lanz, and Wittwer had also been invited but in
the end they did not participate in the project.
The invitation addressed to the prospective participants elucidated the exhibition's program-
matic focus: Affordable Housing. Taking into consideration the current situation on the housing mar-
ket in Basel, the organisers preferred flats which could be let for no more than 800 to 1200 francs for
a single- or two-bedroom flat (average rent on the local market). The guidelines called for flats with
at least "one larger room" or "a larger number of rooms". The idea was to present a comprehensive
picture of current trends in the design of small living spaces in Switzerland. The target customer was
defined as a family with up to 5 children that could afford to spend no more than 1300 francs for
monthly rent. The emphasis was on functionality and modern building technologies.
The completed development comprised of 90 units. The lot was divided into two sections: the
southern one - located between Gotterbarmweg Street and a railway embankment - was occupied
by four-storey tenement houses while the northern part was designated for row-houses. Particularly
worthy of attention was the gallery-access block of flats built from the design of Kellermuller and
Hofmann. As for the detached houses, the 'back-to-back' row-houses by Scherrer and Meyer those
designed by the studio of Artaria & Schmidt stood out, the latter presenting a very consistent ap-
proach to the economical use of space despite certain errors in location and layout. The gallery-ac-
cess block referred to the solution already explored in Karlsruhe and contained only one- and two-
room flats. The floor plans of flats in other tenement houses followed solutions already known from
earlier projects. Found among the row-houses, it was the buildings designed by Hermann Bauer and
A. Hoechl that attracted much interest. The former managed to accommodate a multi-generation
family in 4 rooms (including the living kitchen) on a mere 80 m2 of dwelling area, the latter featured
a bathroom and utility room placed behind the kitchen. The design of H. Barnoulli and A. Kunzel,
with a large studio and the bathroom located in the basement, was praised as being particularly
functional.
All buildings had flat roofs, simple geometric forms and light-coloured elevations set off by
clearly defined openings. The architects commenting on the project emphasised the simplicity and
lightness of the design. With a two-storey arcaded gallery running the entire height of the building
to accentuate the entrance, the tenement house designed by Maurice Braillard was the only one
favouring monumentality. Other designs emphasised functionality and the practical approach was
apparent in the inclusion of utility rooms even in the economical layout of Baur's house.
The exhibition's reception was unanimously positive. The objective of building affordable but
functional flats was achieved. The obvious mistake in the buildings' location, resulted in some houses
158 Johannes CRAMER, Niels GUTSCHOW, op.cit,, p.154.
57
159 'Die Schweizerische Wohnungausstellung 1930, Das H/eA 1929, vol.16, p.244-245.