From steel house to mass housing for the working class: Architectural debates in the European institutions (1952-1967)

It was rather unexpected that the first European Institutions became involved in architectural and urban planning debates in the 1950s. Seeking to increase the number of houses available for workers and aiming to improve their living conditions, the members of the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community launched four experimental programs and architectural competitions. These experiences took place within lively architectural debates on new building materials and methods which could enable cost reductions in construction and, perhaps, offer new market opportunities for European steel industries. From another point of view, the industrialised building method and the development of high-rise tower projects seemed in opposition with idealised working-class communities represented by the classical garden city. In other words, this article's purpose is to underline how the members of European Institutions, steered by advices of experts, architects, engineers and civil servants, encouraged a wide range of architectural experiences aiming to define what type of housing would be the more appropriate for the working class in the 1950s and 1960s.SCOPUS: re.j