This walk illustrates the scale of the house building by the Red Vienna council between 1919 to 1933. Several of the buildings were designed and constructed in the mid 1920s. There is a feeling here of confidence and optimism. Many of the changes which had been implemented by the social democratic council – a progressiveContinue reading “The Radical Housing of Meidling, Vienna”
Category Archives: Architecture
Rabenhof, Vienna: A Radical Walk
You can start where you like with a visit to the Rabenhof estate in Vienna. Walk all the way around the perimeter, explore the alleyways and passages, watch the world go by, sit and read a book, sketch the buildings; what ever you do, make sure to explore. If you need a meeting place, theContinue reading “Rabenhof, Vienna: A Radical Walk”
Amsterdam and the Dream in Bricks
When the starting point is unclear it can be helpful to aim for something well known. This is why tourists swarm to Trafalgar Square, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty. It’s a way of anchorage, of finding bearings. And if nothing else, it means a sense of having arrived; after all,Continue reading “Amsterdam and the Dream in Bricks”
Karl Seitz Hof
The U-bahn train on line U3 came to a momentary stop outside Florisdorf station. It was a moment to catch up with myself. It’s like you suddenly become yourself again, remember who you are, waking up from a walking daydream through the city streets. An elderly woman walked past me pulling a shopping trolley. SheContinue reading “Karl Seitz Hof”
Red Vienna: A Radical Walk
Update: Thursday 31 July 2025I am organising a ‘Red Vienna Radical Walk’ on Sunday 28 September 2025. Meet outside the Rabenhof Theatre, Rabengasse 3, 1030 Wien at 14.00More details here:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1548015378669?aff=oddtdtcreator If you want more details use the contact form, link on the top right corner of this page. * * * * * * *Continue reading “Red Vienna: A Radical Walk”
The End of Capital
What I really wanted to do was to walk along the Kings Road. There are more immediate things that I ought to be doing and streets and buildings with more urgent research needs. But I want the luxury of freedom; to drift and float through the streets, to turn left here and right there withContinue reading “The End of Capital”
The Problem of London- Prologue
It was possibly Patrick Keiller who first raised the question, ‘the problem of London’. As there are no money-making opportunities in answering this question it has been neglected. But it is surely one of the key questions, not an incidental one? London is a large city. The building and maintenance of London requires immense quantitiesContinue reading “The Problem of London- Prologue”
EC1 – A Primer
It seems so disjointed. A collection of buildings sharing space but little else; and not even sharing that space in a neighbourly way. The only underlying principle is profit. These buildings share built characteristics. They are all the products of the alchemy of human labour, labour power (as a commodity), machines, and raw materials. TheContinue reading “EC1 – A Primer”
A Universal Idea
What does the book look like if its read here, in this particular place? The book is Folk Opposition by Alex Nevin. It was lent to me in the summer. We were in the beer garden of a pub after the Radical Battersea Walk. It was one of those days when the temperature was overContinue reading “A Universal Idea”
The Cathedral of Saint Etienne in Bourges
There is an early train to Bourges and a mid-day train and nothing in between. The alarm goes off and I go back to sleep. There’s no rush. The alarm clock is one of the great tools of oppression. How I have hated it during a life of toil. A mental map is slowly beingContinue reading “The Cathedral of Saint Etienne in Bourges“
Commodity Fetishism 