Representation of working-class housing at the beginning of the twentieth century. From the daily solutions to the competition for Cartagena’s working-class quarters in 1902

Abstract

The problem of the Working-class houses in Spain was taking shape during decades due to different socio-economical causes. The promulgation of the 1st ‘Casas Baratas’ Act in 1911 was the first response of the State as an awareness of this serious social problem, but in the meanwhile, different solutions for the Workingclass dwelling were proposed by a variety of agents (private companies, building societies, public administration, etc.). This paper collects some significant projects in the area of Cartagena and contrasts their graphic proposals, from the simplest works to the outstanding solution provided by the project of the first Spanish competition of social housing in the twentieth century, approaching the construction of two Working-class quarters in Cartagena. Finally, some most common aspects and features of this kind of representation for housing production are shown.

Keywords

• representación
• concurso
• vivienda obrera
• cartagena