ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of both the physical and political background to social housing in Vienna. Vienna has a highly centralized and radial urban structure. At this period a compact centre was surrounded by a city wall and a wide green belt on which no building was permitted for fear that any such buildings could compromise the security of the often besieged city. During the nineteenth century, the city wall was demolished and the green belt transformed into a wide boulevard known as Ringstrasse which was lined with a series of public open spaces and such important buildings as the Parliament, the Town Hall, the State Opera House and the University. The surrounding villages were included and main streets connected to this Ring, further strengthening the radial form of the city plan. The building volumes in my competition project were planned to shape the space in line with the intended choreography.
