Straußengasse 14, Vienna, Austria
Modern flats preserve 13th century half-timbered by 'envelopment'
A 17-unit development in Vienna, Austria at Straußengasse 14 shows an interesting approach to historic preservation. Call it preservation-by-envelopment in which a relatively large modern buillding envelopes a small old building, preserving most of the look, textures and feeling of the old, keeping its streetface at the sidewalk, and its interior, but allowing the new, larger building to flow around three sides and over the top of the old.
One side of the old is incorporated into an entry walk for the new. The interior of the old is retained.
But the diagrams and pictures tell the Straußengasse 14 story better than words. Photo credit: Hertha Hurnaus, Architect: feld72
The new of Straußengasse 14 is uncompromising modern with an exposed steel channel structure, full face glass etc. while the historic building is a Bavarian/Alps vernacular post-&-beam construction. The front has brick veneer on columns, while overall the structure is composed of exposed rough wood frame and plastered infill or 'half-timnering' which they call Fachwerk (I looked it up) The style dates back to the 13th century.
For some this juxtaposition of the looks of the 13th and the 21st century will be seen as a jarring anomaly! Ridiculous, horrible, ugly, crass, just doesn't work etc
Or else you can see the stark contrast of style and scale of old and new as positive for appreciation of the old. Because the old stands out better and more strongly for the contrast. That’s my reaction.
Here in Frederick MD we tend to have knockdown dragout fights between development and preservation camps, debating either demolition or preservation in which one camp wins, and the other loses. Envelopment can be seen as closer to offering a win-win result in which both camps get most of what they want.
Also of interest in the Straußengasse 14 development:
-- the modern building is recessed a little so the little old Fachwerk's frontage has a 3-dimensional look
-- an outside side wall of the half-timbered is used as one side oif the maiin. entry walk
-- a plain concrete column supporting the new building above is located prominently in the main room of the Fachwerk
Relevance to Frederick
1. It caught my eye because I immediately thought of the 410/412 E Patrick townhouse pair set to be demolished for the 106-unit 400 East Patrick project (By City notation it is 404-420 E Patrick St) of Ausherman. Could this townhouse pair be 3D 'enveloped'? Easily with the steel and reinforced concrete construction used in Europe, but less readily with our predominant timberframe structures. And what would is cost, and what would be lost by way of new housing compared with demo?
Serious historic preservation review in Frederick would demand analysis of envelopment of such character-providing buildings as 410/412 -- both 2D leaving air above, and 3D envelopment like Straußengasse 14.
2. The layout of the new Straußengasse 14 is exemplary compared with what usually passes as new apartments/condos here:
-- a true mixed use building of 17 units: 13 apartments/condos along with 2 office and 2 retail spaces
-- direct access to units off a tiny lobby by an elevator/stairway stack, no space wasting, dreary corridors
-- shallow building so majority of apartments have windowed faces both sides & cross ventilation
-- diversity: 2 BR, 1 BR, some with home office, penthouse
-- some apartments have work space
-- street diagonal parking, no expensive in-building car parking
-- deep full width balconies
-- living rooms openable to the outside
-- structural system of steel and concrete allows for easier rearrangement of non-load bearing internal walls
I picked this up at:
https://www.archdaily.com/1021684/straussengasse-14-feld72/
and
TERMINOLOGY: an 'apartment' is a part of a multi-family building rented by the occupant, whereas a 'condo' can be a physically identical space owned by the occupant. 'Flat' is the British/Australian term for such a living space whether rented or owned -- a useful term because it doesn't prejudge the often irrelevant or changeable form of ownership. And it's snappy.
PSam 20241029