In a medical system architecture and method for interactive transmission and progressive representation of compressed image data of multi-component images, image data are obtained at least one modality with computer workstations being associated with the respective modalities to process the examination images. A device is provided to transfer the examination images; and a device is provided for storage of data and examination images; and further user workstations are provided for post-processing of the examination images. The image data are compressed and organized and stored in packets with specific parameters such that access to individual packets is possible; and the packetized data are decompressed packet-by-packet based on a request from a user workstation, such that multi-component images are generated with progressive parameters.