Multi-Apartment Buildings

709 Pages·2014·58.48 MB·English

by  Tamás Perényi

Multi-Apartment Buildings
Tamás Perényi
Tamás Niczki
Zsófia Dankó
Boglárka Szentirmai
Zoltán André
Tímea Nikházy
Margó Szécsi
Zoltán Török
Viola Tóth
Andor Wesselényi-Garay
Patrick Mullowney
Anikó Annamária Németh
Péter Brenyó
Albert Máté
Multi-Apartment Buildings
by Tamás Perényi
by Tamás Niczki, Zsófia Dankó, and Boglárka Szentirmai
by Zoltán André, Tímea Nikházy, Margó Szécsi, Zoltán Török, and Viola Tóth
by Andor Wesselényi-Garay, Patrick Mullowney, and Anikó Annamária Németh
by Péter Brenyó and Albert Máté
Publication date 2013
Copyright © 2013 BUTE Department of Residential Building Design, The curriculum development
of the BME Department of Residential Building Design was implemented under the
preject TÁMOP-4.1.2.A/1-11/1-2011-0055., , ,
Abstract
In our curricular collection entitled Multi-Apartment Houses, we focus on multi-storey, multi-apartment residential
buildings, while we deal with all the other types of multi-apartment houses in Low-Rise High-Density Housing.
Copyright 2013
Table of Contents
Introductory Essay ........................................................................................................ ix
The Topic of Multi-Apartment Buildings .................................................................. ix
Categories of Multi-Apartment Houses ..................................................................... ix
The Structuring of This Collection ........................................................................... ix
Examples of Historic Periods and Vernacular Architectural Prototypes ............................ x
Multi-Apartment Buildings in the First Half of the 20th Century ................................... xi
Projects in the Latter Half of the 20th Century ......................................................... xiii
Contemporary Experiments, Design Issues ............................................................... xv
1. Apartment Buildings from the First Part of the 20th Century – International Projects ............... 1
........................................................................................................................... 1
Majolica House, Vienna, Austri ...................................................................... 1
mp; Russell, Graham Court, New York, US ........................................................ 5
Rue Franklin Apartments, Paris, Franc ............................................................. 7
Casa Milà, Barcelona, Spain, 19 .................................................................... 13
Klerk, Hembrugstraat, Amsterdam, Netherland .................................................. 16
Gradins Vavin, Paris, Franc .......................................................................... 19
der Rohe, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, German .............................................. 22
- Martin Wagner, Britz Hufeisensiedlung, Berlin, Germany, ................................. 26
- Ignati Milinis, Narkomfin Communal House, Moscow, Russi ............................. 31
Siemensstadt Housing, Berlin, German ........................................................... 37
Karl-Marx-Court, Vienna, Austria .................................................................. 41
Highpoint Apartment Blocks, London, U ........................................................ 45
- Pietro Lingeri, Casa Lavezzari, Milan, Ital ..................................................... 50
Giuseppe Terragni - Pietro Lingeri, Casa Rustici, Corso Sempione, Milan, 1936 ...... 55
Charles Marshall - William Tweedy, Viceroy Court in St. John’s Wood, London,
UK, 1934-36 ............................................................................................... 59
amus - Palanti, Fabio Filzi Quarter - Residential complex in the Milan suburbs,
Ital ............................................................................................................ 64
Micthell - Bridgwater - Gollins & Smeeton AA, Viceroy Close, Birmingham,
UK, 1938 ................................................................................................... 68
Robert Atkinson, Oslo Court, London, UK, 1938 .............................................. 71
Mario Terzaghi - Augusto Magnaghi Delfino, Apartment Building, Como, Italy,
1939 .......................................................................................................... 76
Giuseppe Terragni, Giuliani-Frigerio Apartments, Como, Italy, 1940 .................... 78
2. Apartment Buildings from the First Half of the 20th Century – Hungarian Projects ............... 82
......................................................................................................................... 82
Henrik Böhm – Ármin Hegedűs, Török Bank, Szervita Square No. 3, Budapest,
District V, 1906 ........................................................................................... 82
Béla Lajta, Rózsavölgyi House, Szervita Square No. 5, Budapest, District V,
1911-12 ...................................................................................................... 87
Béla Málnai, Former Czech-Hungarian Industrial Bank, Nádor Street No. 6,
Budapest, District V, 1912 ............................................................................. 94
Iván Kotsis, Luther House, Nyíregyháza, 1929 ................................................. 99
Pál Ligeti – Farkas Molnár, Delej Mansion, Mihály Street No. 11, Budapest,
District I, 1930 .......................................................................................... 103
Károly Rainer, Mailáth Houses, Keleti Károly Street, Budapest, District II,
1930 ......................................................................................................... 105
Pál Detre - Máté Major, Tenement House, Attila Road No. 129, Budapest, District
I, 1934 ..................................................................................................... 108
Lajos Kozma, Six-Flat Tenement Mansion, Bimbó Road No. 39, Budapest,
District II, 1934 ......................................................................................... 110
László Lauber - István Nyíri, Tenement House, Kékgolyó Street No. 10,
Budapest, District XII, 1934 ......................................................................... 113
Gábor Preisich - Mihály Vadász, Manfréd Weiss’s Pension Funds Tenement
House, Bartók Béla Road No. 62–64, Budapest, District XI, 1934 ....................... 119
iv
Multi-Apartment Buildings
Aladár Árkay - Sándor Faragó - József Fischer - Károly Heysa - Pál Ligeti -
Farkas Molnár - Móric Pogány - Gábor Preisich - Mihály Vadász, OTI Tenement
Houses, Pope John Paul II Square (formerly Köztársaság Square) Nos. 14,15 and
16, Budapest, District VIII, 1935 .................................................................. 125
Lajos Kozma, Átrium House, Margit Boulevard No. 55, Budapest, District II,
1936 ......................................................................................................... 131
Dr. Béla Barát - Ede Novák, Georgia Tenement Palace, Rákóczi Road No. 4,
Budapest, District VII, 1936 ......................................................................... 137
Béla Hofstätter - Ferenc Domány, Dunapark House, Pozsonyi Road No. 38-40,
Budapest, District XIII, 1936 ........................................................................ 143
László Lauber - István Nyíri - Sándor Bálint, Tenement House, Irányi Street No.
8, Budapest, District V, 1936 ........................................................................ 148
Farkas Molnár, Condominiums, Pasaréti Road No. 7, Budapest, District II, 1936 ... 150
Móric Pogány - István Janáky, Bérvilla, Áfonya Street, Budapest, District II,
1936 ......................................................................................................... 155
Károly Bálint, Tenement Mansion with Businesses, Kolumbusz Street No. 57/b,
Budapest, District XIV, 1937 ........................................................................ 158
Lajos Kozma - Vilmos Dénes, Tenement House, Régiposta Street No. 13,
Budapest, District V, 1937 ........................................................................... 160
György Rumszauer, Tenement House of the Association of the Royal Hungarian
Postmasters and Postal Employees, Szalay Street No. 5/a, Budapest, District V,
1937 ......................................................................................................... 168
Gyula Wälder, Tenement House (Holitscher House), Rákóczi Road No. 12,
Budapest, District VII, 1937 ......................................................................... 172
János Wanner, Tenement Mansion, Szilágyi Erzsébet Avenue No. 61, Budapest,
District II, 1937 ......................................................................................... 174
Béla Hofstätter - Ferenc Domány, Tenement House of Weiss Manfréd
Companies’ Recognised Pension Fund, Margit Boulevard Nos. 15-17, Budapest,
District II, 1938 ......................................................................................... 176
Tibor Hübner - István Janáky, OTI Tenement House, Károly Boulevard Nos.
13-15, Budapest, District VII, 1940 ............................................................... 182
Dr. Dezső Hültl, Tenement House of the Hungarian Academy of Science (MTA),
Károly Boulevard No. 1, Budapest, District VII, 1939 ....................................... 186
Aladár and Viktor Olgyay, Tenement House, Városmajor Street No. 50/b,
Budapest, District XII, 1941 ......................................................................... 189
Gedeon Gerlóczy, Tenement House with Businesses, Petőfi Sándor Street No. 12,
Budapest, District V, 1944 ........................................................................... 194
3. Apartment Buildings from the Latter Half of the 20th Century – International Projects ......... 200
....................................................................................................................... 200
Luciano Abenante - Francesco Di Salvo - Gian Tristano Papale, Social Housing,
Naples, Italy, 1947 ..................................................................................... 200
Luigi Moretti, Il Girasole, Rome, Italy, 1950 .................................................. 204
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lake Shore Drive Apartments, Chicago, USA,
1951 ......................................................................................................... 208
Le Corbusier, Unité d'Habitation, Marseille, France, 1948-52 ............................ 213
Mario Asnago - Claudio Vender, Residential Building, Via Faruffini 6, Milan,
Italy, 1954 ................................................................................................. 219
José Antonio Coderch, Casa de la Marina, Barcelona, Spain, 1951–54 ................. 223
Attilio Mariani - Carlo Perogalli, Via Crivelli, Milan, Italy, 1955 ........................ 231
Frank Lloyd Wright, Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA, 1956 ................ 234
Gio Ponti, Casa Via Dezza, Milan, Italy, 1957 ................................................ 240
Kunio Maekawa, Harumi Apartments, Tokyo, Japan, 1958 ................................ 243
Gian Luigi Banfi - Lodovico Belgiojoso - Enrico Peresutti - Ernesto Rogers
(Studio BBPR), Velasca Tower, Milan, Italy, 1958 ............................................ 251
Johannes Hendrik van der Broek - Jaap Bakema, Hansaviertel Tower, Berlin,
Germany, 1960 .......................................................................................... 256
Bertrand Goldberg, Marina City, Chicago, USA, 1964 ..................................... 259
Ernő Goldfinger, Balfron and Trellick Tower, West-London, UK, 1968–72 ........... 264
v
Multi-Apartment Buildings
Moshe Safdie, Habitat ’67, Montreal, Canada, 1967 ........................................ 267
Alison and Peter Smithson, Robin Hood Gardens, London, UK, 1972 ................. 273
Kisho Kurokawa, Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo, Japan, 1972 .......................... 277
Rudolf Olgiati, Apartment House, Flims-Dorf, Switzerland, 1973 ....................... 283
Ricardo Bofill - Taller de Arquitectura, Walden 7, Barcelona, Spain, 1973 ............ 286
Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, Calle Doña María Coronel 26, Sevilla, Spain, 1976 ....... 291
Rudolf Olgiati, Tschaler House, Chur, Switzerland, 1977 .................................. 294
Jean Nouvel, Nemausus I-II, Nîmes, France, 1985–88 ...................................... 298
4. Apartment Buildings in the Latter Half of the 20th Century – Hungarian Projects ................ 303
....................................................................................................................... 303
Zoltán Kiss, Apartment Building, Délibáb Street, District VI, Budapest, 1954 ....... 303
Károly Weichinger–Csaba Virág, OTP Apartments, Liszt Ferenc Square, District
VII/VI, Budapest, 1961 ............................................................................... 306
Zoltán Gulyás, OTP Apartments, Rumbach Sebestyén Street, District VII,
Budapest, 1963 .......................................................................................... 310
György Vedres, OTP Apartments, Bem Embankment, District I, Budapest, 1962 .... 317
György Jánossy, Apartments, Úri Street No. 38, District I, Budapest, 1963 ........... 320
Tibor Tenke, Medium-Rise Apartment Houses of an Experimental Housing
Estate, Budapest, XXII, 1963 ....................................................................... 325
Lajos Schmidt, Apartments, Gellérthegy Street, District I, Budapest, 1965 ............ 329
György Tokár - Attila Emődy, Apartments, Hajnóczy József Street, District XII,
Budapest, 1965 .......................................................................................... 333
János Sedlmayr, Apartments, Tárnok Street No. 7, District I, Budapest, 1964 ........ 337
Béla Borvendeg, Apartments, Szeged, Oskola Street, 1968 ................................ 342
Levente Varga, Terrace House, Lévay Street No. 8, District II, Budapest, 1967–
1969 ......................................................................................................... 348
Csaba Virág, White Dove House, Úri Street, District I, Budapest, 1969 ................ 352
Zoltán Farkasdy - Attila Kenessey, Apartments in the Castle District, Dísz
Square, District I, Budapest, 1970 ................................................................. 357
Zoltán Farkasdy, Apartments, Úri Street, District I, Budapest, 1970 .................... 362
Mrs János Sedlmayr, Apartments, Hátsókapu Street, Sopron, 1971 ..................... 367
Olga Mináry, Apartment Buildings, Hankóczy Jenő Street, District II, Budapest,
1974 ......................................................................................................... 371
Lajos Horváth, Infill Development in the Castle District, Úri Street, District I,
Budapest, 1972 .......................................................................................... 374
Károly Jurcsik, Apartments, Toboz Street, District III, Budapest, 1977 ................ 381
5. Contemporary Apartment Buildings – International Projects ........................................... 384
....................................................................................................................... 384
Gilles Perraudin - Françoise Jourda, Croix Rousse Social Housing, Lyon, France,
1992 ......................................................................................................... 384
Philippe Gazeau, Logements Postiers, Rue de l’Ourcq, Paris, France, 1993 ........... 388
Carlo Baumschlager-Dietmar Eberle, Rohrbach 2 Residential Complex, Dombirn,
Austria, 1997 ............................................................................................. 392
Frédéric Borel, Apartment Building, Rue Pelleport, Paris, France, 1999 ............... 396
Carlos Ferrater, Paseo de Gracia - Diputación Building, Barcelona, Spain, 1999 ..... 401
Herzog & de Meuron, Rue des Suisses Apartment Buildings, Paris, France,
2000 ......................................................................................................... 406
de Architekten Cie, The Whale, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2000 ......................... 412
Kazuyo Sejima–Ryue Nishiziwa (SANAA), Kitagata Housing, Kitagata, Japan,
2000 ......................................................................................................... 416
Carlo Baumschlager - Dietmar Eberle, Hötting-West Development, Innsbruck,
Austria, 2000 ............................................................................................. 422
Eduardo Souto de Moura, Maia Apartments, Maia, Portugal, 2001 ...................... 425
Cino Zucchi, D/Residential Building on La Giudecca, Venice, Italy, 2002 ............. 430
Ercilla - Campo Arquitectura, 168 FLATS Public Housing, Lakua, Vitoria-
Gasteiz, Spain, 2002 ................................................................................... 433
Alfonso Reyes - Dellekamp Arquitectos, 58 Apartments, Mexico City, Mexico,
2003 ......................................................................................................... 437
vi
Multi-Apartment Buildings
MVRDV, Silodam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2003 .......................................... 445
Alvaro Siza Vieira, Terraços de Bragança, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004 ...................... 454
Claus en Kaan Architecten, Ter Huivra, Joure, Netherlands, 2004 ....................... 458
Edouard François, Flower Tower, Paris, France, 2004 ...................................... 463
Miller & Maranta, Schwarzpark Residences, Basel, Switzerland, 2004 ................. 467
Alexis López Acosta - Xavier Iván Díaz Martín, Edificio Inakasa, Las Palmas,
Gran Canaria, 2005 .................................................................................... 474
David Chipperfield - EMV Social Housing, Villaverde, Madrid, Spain, 2005 ........ 478
MVRDV - Blanca Lleó Asciados, Mirador Apartment Building, Madrid, Spain,
2005 ......................................................................................................... 482
PLOT (BIG+JDS), VM House, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005 ............................ 487
Rafael Moneo - Martinez Lapena, Apartment House, Barcelona, Spain, 2005 ........ 490
Riano Arquitectos, 22-Flat Housing, Madrid, Spain, 2005 ................................. 494
Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA), Moriyama House, Tokyo, Japan, 2005 ..................... 501
S-M.A.O., Social Housing, Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain, 2005 ........................... 505
Amann - Canovas - Maruri, 61-Apartment Social Tenement House, Coslada
Puerto, Madrid, Spain, 2006 ......................................................................... 507
C.F. Møller Architects, Østerbrogade 105, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2006 .............. 511
Edouard François, La Closeraie, Louviers, France, 2006 ................................... 514
Emiliano López - Monica Rivera, 27-Apartment Social Tenement House for
Young People, Barcelona, Spain, 2007 ........................................................... 516
Xiaodu Liu & Yan Meng (Urbanus Architecture & Design Inc.), Tolou Collective
Housing, Nanhai District, Guandong Province, China, 2008 ............................... 522
ZIGZAG Arquitectura, VIVAZZ Social Housing, Mieres, Spain, 2011 ................. 527
6. Contemporary Multi-Apartment Buildings – Hungarian Projects ...................................... 533
....................................................................................................................... 533
Tamás Tomay, Three-Flat Apartment House, Kavics Street No. 8/D, Budapest,
District II, 1996 ......................................................................................... 533
György Vadász - László Váncza, Residential Community, Beregszászi Road,
Budapest, District XI, 1999 .......................................................................... 536
Sándor Pálfy - Ferenc Keller, Residential Community, Csejtei Street Nos. 15–19,
Budapest, District II, 1998 ........................................................................... 539
Péter Reimholz, Hapimag Apartments, Fortuna Street, Budapest, District I,
2000 ......................................................................................................... 544
Zsófia Csomay - Péter Reimholz, Raul Wallenberg Guesthouse, Toldy Ferenc
Street Nos. 8-10 and Szabó Ilonka Street No. 7, Budapest, District I, 2000 ............ 547
János Dobai, Passage House, Mária and Horánszky Streets, Budapest, District
VIII, 2001 ................................................................................................. 555
Dévényi Tamás, Magház (“Core-House”), Rottenbiller Street, Budapest, VII,
2002 ......................................................................................................... 561
Tamás Tomay, Apartment House, Gül Baba Street, Budapest, District II, 2002 ....... 567
Ferenc Cságoly - Ferenc Keller, Barbican House, Pécs, 2001 ............................. 575
Margit Pelényi, Social Tenement House, Pécs, 2002 ........................................ 580
Gábor Turányi, Owner-Occupied Apartment House in Mecset Street, Budapest,
District II, 2003 ......................................................................................... 584
Gábor Csernyánszky, Municipal Tenements, Rákóczy F. Street Nos. 97–105,
Budapest, District XXI, 2004 ....................................................................... 588
László Kalmár - Zsolt Zsuffa, 4-Flat Apartment Block, Vágás Street No. 22,
Budapest, District XIV, 2004 ........................................................................ 592
Boros Pál, Owner-Occupied 9-Flat Apartment Block, Kecskemét, 2005 ............... 597
Gunther Zsolt - Csillag Katalin, Owner-Occupied Apartment Block in Futó
Street, Budapest, District VIII, 2005 .............................................................. 604
Zsolt Hajnal, Residential Complex, Kapás Street No. 26–44, Budapest, District II,
2005 ......................................................................................................... 607
László Vincze, Azúr Apartmant House, Siófok, 2005 ....................................... 611
Hajnal Zsolt, Apartments in Futó Street, Budapest, District VIII, 2006 ................. 614
György Hild, Owner-Occupied 12-Flat Apartment Block, Virág árok Street No.
17, Budapest, District XII, 2006 ................................................................... 618
vii
Multi-Apartment Buildings
Kis Péter - Valkai Csaba, Municipal Apartments, Práter Street Nos. 30-32,
Budapest, District VIII, 2007 ........................................................................ 622
Brigitta Mayer - László Szentgyögyi, Owner-Occupied Apartments in Nevegy
Street, Budapest, District XI, 2007 ................................................................ 627
Péter Reimholz, Corvinus Palace, Szalag Street, Budapest, District I, 2008 ........... 631
Gábor Zoboki - Nóra Demeter, Dorottya Palace, Dorottya Street, Budapest,
District V, 2008 ......................................................................................... 636
Lukács István - Vikár András, Simplon Court Apartments B, Váli Street,
Budapest, District XI, 2009 .......................................................................... 639
János Bitó - Gyula Fülöp - Tamás Perényi, Reconstruction and Extension of an
Historic Residential Building, Nándor Street No. 9, Budapest, District I, 2009 ........ 646
Gábor Turányi - Bence Turányi, Simplon Court, Bercsényi Steet, Budapest,
District XI, 2010 ........................................................................................ 651
7. Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Apartment Buildings .................................................. 656
....................................................................................................................... 656
BKK-2, Sargfabrik, Vienna, Austria, 1996 ..................................................... 656
Hentrich - Petschnigg & Partner (HPP), Dwellings for Young People, Leipzig,
Germany, 2000 .......................................................................................... 661
BKK-3, Miss Sargfabrik, Vienna, Austria, 2000 .............................................. 664
Roos Architekten, Apartment Block, Jona-Kempraten, Switzerland, 2004 ............. 668
Johannes and Hermann Kaufmann, AM Mühlweg Housing Complex, Unit A,
Vienna, Austria, 2006 ................................................................................. 671
sps-architekten, Passive Energy Housing Complex “Samer Mösl", Salzburg,
Austria, 2006 ............................................................................................. 675
Aldric Beckmann - Françoise N’Thépé, Lot M3B3, Paris, France, 2007 ............... 679
Elenberg Fraser, Huski Apartments, Falls Creek, Australia, 2008 ........................ 683
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, One Brighton Apartment Complex, Brighton,
Great Britain, 2009 ..................................................................................... 687
Grab Architekten, Kraftwerk B, Bennau, Switzerland, 2009 .............................. 689
8. Bibliography .......................................................................................................... 693
viii
Introductory Essay
The Topic of Multi-Apartment Buildings
In our curricular collection entitled Multi-Apartment Houses, we focus on multi-storey, multi-
apartment residential buildings, while we deal with all the other types of multi-apartment houses
in Low-Rise High-Density Housing. However, these two types of housing cannot be precisely
distinguished, because – for example – multi-storey row houses or terraced (deck) houses may be
included in both categories. Speaking of multi-storey (high-rise) multi-apartment houses, we mean
townhouses and tenement houses in general, or the developments formerly referred to as owner-
occupied blocks (condominiums), urban mansions (villas) or even apartment houses. What all these
examples have in common is that they are complexes containing several dwelling units that open from
a shared circulation system.
Categories of Multi-Apartment Houses
Multi-apartment houses may be classified according to several aspects. Our collection is based on a
chronological order: the historical examples are followed by contemporary ones relevant from aspects
of design. However, multi-apartment buildings are traditionally grouped according to their many other
characteristics, too. The final design of the buildings, the dimensions of the apartments and their
standards are defined by several factors. The clients commissioning the building are crucial to the
outcome. In this regard, we can make a distinction between market-based investment, social housing
(tenement flats), houses built by corporate builders (typical of the early-20th century), as well as
co-operative houses built by the owners in collaboration. Except for the latter, it holds true for all
these projects that the would-be occupants are unknown at the time of design work, which means that
architects need a brand-new method instead of the usual design strategy used in the case of single-
family detached houses. While having to meet the needs of an unknown prospective apartment-dweller,
architects also depend on the economic and cultural standards of their direct clients. Categorizations
based on propriety nexus (private house, tenement house), building height (medium-height, high-rise)
or trusses (brick, reinforced concrete frame, prefab panels, etc.) also have numerous architectural
consequences and relevances. However, for design considerations, it is categorizations based on the
type of circulation system and the development that seem to be the most relevant, since they certainly
influence the design of dwelling units and thus the lives of their would-be dwellers. According to
the circulation system, we distinguish tiered buildings and buildings with passages and corridors.
Examples of these two categories occur in countless formations, in mixed forms or even blended. The
appropriate choice defines aspects such as the orientation of the apartments, their exposure to sunshine,
interior configuration, ventillation, the economical maintenance and operation of the building, or
even the ratio of the useable and overall floor-area, which is a most important concern regarding
the costs of investment. Regarding the type of development, we distinguish free-standing (detached)
dwelling-houses containing one or more buildings and development in unbroken rows adjusting to
the existing urban fabric. Previously such developments were built exclusively to surround a closed
internal courtyard. Later on, by building around site blocks like a frame, larger livable internal gardens
were left undeveloped. In any given situation, architects’ inventiveness is manifest primarily in the
way they are able to integrate the above so that as many of the units within the complex as possible
have the same, or at least almost equally advantageous conditions. More often than not, the issues of
development go beyond the confines of the actual structure. Thus, a genuinely innovative development
entails consequences for town planning and civic design.
The Structuring of This Collection
When compiling this collection, we selected and analysed remarkable international and local examples
of the various periods from the point of view of building design. We developed our examination
criteria along the lines of what we judged to be the most important issues that arise when designing
multi-apartment residential buildings. It was not our aim to compile a comprehensive presentation.
Instead, we focussed on some prominent buildings typical of their own time. The structures included
ix
Introductory Essay
in our collection are representative examples either of the time of their construction, or their given
socio-cultural environment and context. They are either lasting achievements of their own age,
or their principles constitute a tradition that could be continued. This is why we often refer to
them and treat them as prototypes to be revised during design work. Prototypes should, of course,
always be seen through an appropriate filter, as many of them have assumed significant physical
and moral obsolescence by now, coming into being under various cultural, social, economic or
climatic conditions. We do hope that the analysis of the dwelling-houses we selected will prove to
be educational. Their responses to certain issues faced then should help today’s architects to make
professional decisions in their design work.
Our selection contains seven sub-chapters surveying Hungarian and international projects of the
first and the latter half of the 20th century, followed by contemporary projects, all in chronological
order. The collection concludes with descriptions of some exemplary sustainable and energy-efficient
buildings.
Examples of Historic Periods and Vernacular
Architectural Prototypes
The evolution of multi-storey, multi-apartment residential buildings is generally associated with
industrial revolution and the dwellings created for the masses of working class people flocking into
towns and cities in its wake. According to the interpretation discussed in detail in the introduction,
this form of housing actually became massively widespread in the early 20th century. However, it
has some fairly early prototypes. If we survey secular vernacular or early architectural examples,
it also becomes obvious that, in spite of its multi-storey design and density, it does not only exist
in societies that enjoy higher technological standards in an urbanized environment. In the town of
Shibam, Yemen, ten-storey residential high-rises were built in the 16th century with fairly simple
building technology using adobe. As for today, in South-East China and Malaysia, clans co-farming
still build common dwellings of more than one storey in natural environments. Whereas, in the 19th-
century, multi-apartment houses are a form of high-densitiy co-habitance where people feel compelled
to live; the Chinese tulous (“earthen buildings”, LINK: Habitatio: V 37. Fucsieni Tulou) as well as the
Malaysian longhouses (LINK: Habitatio: V 14. Iban longhouse) are advantageous formations of co-
operation or joint defence against the enemy.
Unfortunately, very little information remains to us about dwelling-houses from historic periods, since
they were typically made of poorer quality building materials than public buildings and thus were
destroyed. Although some of the palaces in the ancient world were multi-storey and housed several
suites, these cannot be interpreted as prototypes of more recent multi-apartment buildings. Built for the
purposes of the ruling circles, they contain enormous, elegant suites as well as subordinate structures
functioning as dwelling units for the servants and guests. In this formast they are actually enlarged
variations of dwelling-houses. However, we also know of the insulae [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Insulae] built for the poorer social groups of the urban population in ancient Roman times. Many of
these early tenement houses were constructed during the Republic in the 2nd-1st centuries B.C.E. The
earliest of its known surviving examples are found in Ostia [http://www.ostia-antica.org/dict/12.htm].
Masses of merchants, artisans, sailors and unskilled workers rented dwellings for themselves in these
buildings. The propped upper storeys projected above the ground-floor businesses and worskhops on
the mezzanine floor. The height of the houses reached 20 metres, and the structures sometimes housed
more than 8-9 storeys owing to the low heights. Designs with a central courtyard or patio (Casa di
Diana [http://www.ostia-antica.org/regio1/3/3-3.htm]), with a central passage (Casa delle volte dipinte
[http://www.ostia-antica.org/regio3/5/5-1.htm]) and with a garden (Casa a Giardino [http://www.ostia-
antica.org/regio3/9/9.htm]) were also documented. Although these structures typically collapsed or
were destroyed by fire due to poor construction, they are still highly important milestones in the history
of urban residential architecture. The stairwell on the façade or the latrine opening from a communal
landing drew attention to important practical issues. Multi-apartment residential buildings, however,
did not reach the standards of the insulae until the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance period.
In medieval urban centres, multi-storey residential developments in unbroken rows, occupying tight
sites surrounded by town walls, were initially built from wood or with timber frames. Later on, in the
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