Camillo Sitte

Camillo Sitte ( born April 17, 1843 in Vienna, † November 16, 1903 ) was an Austrian architect, city planner, urban planning and cultural theorist, and painter. With his internationally acclaimed book The Urban Design for its artistic principles he was one of the first authors who theoretically and critically grappled with the city planning of the industrial age. Because of its structural and aesthetic proposals for urban design custom is considered a " re-founder of the urban architecture ."

Life and work

After acquisition of higher education on Piaristengymnasium in Vienna custom studied from 1864 to 1869 at the Technical University of Vienna, among others, Heinrich Ferstel, as well as at the University of Vienna, where he attended the courses of study archeology, anatomy and art history. Travels took him, among other things to Italy, Greece, France and Egypt. From 1871 to 1873 the custom was when his father, the Viennese architect Franz Sitte site office, busy. His local work show him to be architects of historicism. In 1875 he became director of the Salzburg State Trade School. From 1883 he taught at the Vienna State Trade School and became its director in 1899. As a city planner, he developed master plans for small and medium-sized cities (including Privoz / Přívoz 1893-1895, Ljubljana / Ljubljana 1895 Mährisch-Ostrau/Ostrava 1897, Reichenberg / Liberec 1901) or served as a judge and expert in urban planning projects (including urban expansion competitors Munich 1892-1893, Brno / Brno 1901-1902 ). Camillo Sitte dealt his life with cultural theory, should deal with the philosophy, art, science and politics. In more than 150 publications, he devoted himself to a wide range of cultural issues. Among other, he worked at the Austrian journal with the architect. The architecture was a process of culturation for custom. In 1903, he died of a stroke.

The urban development according to his artistic principles

Custom obtained in 1889 with the publication of his book The urban development according to his artistic principles beyond the borders of Austria -Hungary also high reputation. This richly illustrated book introduced the concept of urban planning in the discussion, showed examples from ancient, medieval and baroque towns ( "School of Old " ) possibilities of artistic urban design, and turned away from the pragmatic, the hygienic, traffic and economic purposes dominated urban planning of the time. This he criticized because of their strong fixation on geometric, mostly rectangular grid systems and the dictation of lines of flight as an " artistic failure". The " motif poverty and sobriety of modern urban systems " he disapproved sharp by " proverbial dullness " accusing them. In his book, which was re- launched in quick succession, he put the " relationship between buildings, monuments and squares " using the example of historical, often Italian square designs represent the good, the " Artistic " and " Picturesque " with the " technical " to a urban development would have connected, and let a treatise on various urban systems, the " example of a city regulation according to artistic principles " to follow. It must be understood the " a work of art Urban Planning ", not "just a technical problem."

In the center of his considerations was the urban space, the " the symbolization of the belief of a great nation as the center of a major city " is. Central places should get a " Sunday dress " and " serve the pride and joy of the inhabitants, for the awakening of the home feeling, the constant pre- formation of large noble sentiments in the adolescent youth."

Custom represented the idea of ​​free entertainment from space centers, the unity of seats, the installation of court consequences of urban spatial structure by stairways, arcades, balconies and Säulenumgänge and the use of architectural indoor scenes ( stairs, halls, etc. ) in the exterior architecture. Sitte emphasized the importance of open spaces, squares, gardens, courtyards and winding streets for a positive, conducive to human perception experience of city with atmosphere.

The spatial relationships between buildings and forward area, space and facades and the transitions between indoor and outdoor space was custom according to 297 case studies, 86 of which he sketched himself. Typological he differed Cathedral Square, Signora / Schlossplatz, Mercato / Market Square and carriage stand / parking. The format specified by the Höhen-/Tiefenplatz he differed from the width of space, depending on whether the most significant, tallest building from the narrow side or the long side of Deák Square. Triangular spaces ( "fatal gusset " ) were as unbearable as triangular room for custom. At Place consequences as in Modena, Perugia, Salzburg, Schwerin or Münster, he showed in his eyes Exemplary good, irregular urban design. Custom understood his proposals as a response to "our mathematical abgezirkeltes modern life, in which man is formally self to the machine ".

Reception

Sitte's book had great influence on discussions and developments in urban design around 1900. Among the planners and architects who received custom proposals, included in particular the German urban planning experts Ewerbeck Franz Theodor Goecke, Karl Gruber, Karl Henrici, Eduard Kreyßig, Robert Schmidt, Paul Schmitthenner, Alfred von Scholtz, Joseph Stubben and Heinz Wetzel. Sitte's most famous architectural students was Austrian Joseph Maria Olbrich. In the field of landscape and open space planning of the German landscape architect Leberecht Migge Sitte took to suggestions. Custom also influenced Raymond Unwin, the architect of the English garden city of Letchworth (1903 ) and his book Town Planning in Practice ( 1909). In the Netherlands Hendrik Petrus Berlage and Marinus January Granpré Molière customs were traditional urbanistic conceptions close, in Sweden, the city planner Anders Nilsson, Switzerland Hans Marti. 1923 wrote the Austrian architect Leopold Bauer: Sitte's book " looked like an initial charge on a prepared mine; the success was an enormous - anywhere the subject was taken up. " Critics such as the Swiss- French architect Le Corbusier did custom from because of his fondness for the Irregular as an advocate of the " donkey path ". He was accused that he is unilaterally focused on aesthetic issues of urban design and ignores the complexity of the modern city that he had estimated in its " small spatial thinking" development pressures and the space requirement of the growing cities wrong. The German art historian and professor Albert Erich Brinckmann Sitte criticized urban planning ideas as romanticized. 1941, the German planners and university teachers Fritz Schumacher from Sitte's book chapter, the boundaries of art in modern city facilities in his reading book for builders to. However, to initiate noticed Schumacher: " custom ( ... ) sees the Artistic still very largely, Picturesque '; This view is only very gradually overcome " In 1977, architectural critic Wolfgang Pehnt ". Camillo Sitte, urban according to his artistic principles ' of 1889 is re-read " 1985 wrote the art historian Hanno -Walter Kruft: Sitte's book." is the theory of modern urban basic and currently gaining a new relevance after the functionalist urban planning theories of the first half of the 20th century have become obsolete. " a Renaissance learned Sitte urban architecture in particular by the designs and publications of the postmodern Luxembourg architects and urban planners Leon and Rob Krier.

Honors

Camillo Sitte was buried in a grave of honor in Vienna's Central Cemetery (Group 14 A, number 48). According to him, the Higher Technical Training and Research Institute for Building Technology Vienna ( Camillo Sitte educational institution ) named III in the 3rd district of Vienna highway. With the investment of its Moltke Quarter (as of 1908) the city of Essen was a central square its name. In 1913, Camillo Sitte Gasse was named in the 15th district Rudolf -Fuenfhaus after him. In Frankfurt settlement Praunheim a 1928 built-up way also contributes Sitte's name. Custom has received various awards, including 1903, the Knight's Cross 1st class of the Franz Joseph Order. He became a freeman of the Moravian town Přívoz ( Privoz, Oderfurt ) appointed.

Family and residence

Camillo Sitte was born in 1843 as the only son of the architect Franz Sitte and his wife Theresa in Vienna. He married Leopoldine, probably born flower (approx. 1853-1925 ). The son Siegfried custom followed him professionally, the son of Heinrich custom was an archaeologist. Custom lived in Vienna Ungar Gasse 9, where the architect Carl Wilhelm Christian von Doderer home and studio had.

Writings

• The urban development according to his artistic principles. Birkhäuser, Basel 2002, ISBN 3-7643-6692-3
• About the practical value of the doctrine of the golden section, essay without a year, probably around 1880, published in: Wiener Bauhütte, vol 24 (1930 ), H. 6 (pp. 47-49 ), H. 7 (p. 53 - 55) and H. 8 (pp. 67-69 )
• Secession and monumental art, essay, 1903
• Total output. Writings and projects. Edited by Klaus Semsroth, Michael and Christine Mönninger Crasemann - Collins. 6 volumes. Böhlau, Vienna 2003-2007