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Talks and Poster Presentations (without Proceedings-Entry):

A. Hofer:
""Karl Brunner in Chile and Colombia. Reflexions on Sitte and the Vienna Socialist Housing Movement.";
Talk: I International Conference on Town Planning History "Camillo Sitte and the circulation of ideas on urban aesthetics. Europe and Latin America: 1880-1930". 7 -10 oct 2004, Bauru, Brazil , Bauru, Brasilien (invited); 2004-10-07 - 2004-10-10.



English abstract:
I International Conference on Town Planning History
"Camillo Sitte and the circulation of ideas on urban aesthetics. Europe and Latin America: 1880-1930".
7 -10 oct 2004, Bauru, Brazil


Abstract


"Karl Brunner in Chile and Colombia
Reflexions on Sitte and the 'Vienna Socialist Housing Movement."


Between 1929 and 1948 Karl Brunner, one of the most renowned Austrian town planners of the 20th century, worked in numerous cities in Colombia, Chile and Panama. Brunner’s town planning activities in Latin America are characterised by practical and interdisciplinary projects exhibiting approaches of social reforms and the ability to take specific characteristics of the location into account. In place of putting forward spectacular projects which would stand only low chances of realisation, such as those by Le Corbusier, Brunner proposed solution-oriented strategies by incorporating already existing urban structures.

Brunner’s planning practice in Latin America were shaped by two contrary development phases in the first three decades of Vienna’s urban development. On the one hand, around 1900 Vienna was the powerful capital of a grand empire in the heart of Europe. This metropolitan surrounding was characterised by sheer unlimited construction with prominent figures like Otto Wagner who was closely associated with the building boom. Besides Otto Wagner however, it was Camillo Sitte who, by re-introducing artistic principles in urban planning, marked the early steps of Brunner at that time.
The First World War put an abrupt end to further construction activities. After the break down of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy economic recession leads Brunner to a completely novel direction in his work; unemployment and housing shortages make new demands on town planning. Therefore municipal housing, territorial policies and public space became central concerns in Brunner’s town planning concepts.

Above all in Santiago de Chile and Bogotá from 1929 onwards, numerous housing and district planning projects emerged under these premises. While in all of his works Brunner very intensely deals with the "genius loci" of the Latin American city, at the same time one can also strongly retrace the Middle European background of his early Viennese years.


Andreas Hofer, Vienna, August 2004

Vienna University of Technology,
Institute of Urban Design and Planning

ahofer@email.archlab.tuwien.ac.at

Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.