Graz Architecture Rationalists, Aesthetes, Gut Instinct Architects, Democrats, Mediacrats Thanks TU Graz, Institute for Architectural Theory, History of Art and Cultural Studies: Ingrid Böck, Sophia Walk Konrad Frey Volker Giencke Andrea Gleiniger Bernhard Hafner Karin Wilhelm Eilfried Huth Karla Kowalski Hermann Eisenköck Manfred Wolff-Plottegg Petra Friedl Eugen Gross Julia Gaisbacher Sabine Pink Oliver Hangl Ingrid Thonhofer Mischa Kuball Anselm Wagner Anna Meyer Gerhard Wallner Arthur Zalewski HDA: Markus Bogensberger, Karin Oberhuber Academy of Fine Arts, Berlin: Werner Künstlerhaus – Halle für Kunst & Medien: Heegewaldt, Eva-Maria Barkhofen, Catherine Helga and Sandro Droschl Amé, Tanja Morgenstern, Juliane Kreißl steirischer herbst: Veronica Kaup-Hasler, Archive TU Graz: Bernhard Reismann Martina Heil, Andreas Peternell Architektur Haus Kärnten: Raffaela Lackner, Gisela Stramitzer Bernhard Schabbauer Architekturzentrum Wien: Angelika Fitz, Stefan Schöttel Monika Platzer, Katrin Stingl Wolfgang Georg Fischer, Konrad Fischer Julia Gaisbacher gives her thanks to the Forum Stadtpark: Heidrun Primas, Filipa Cicin- residents of the Eschen Development. Sain, Roland Schwarz Ernst and Maria Gradischnig Gabriele Krenn, Heinz Kallan Gerald Zugmann, Sabine Haase-Zugmann Zultner Metall GmbH: Bernd Flachs, Julia Zeilinger Graz Architecture Rationalists, Aesthetes, Gut Instinct Architects, Democrats, Mediacrats This exhibition guide is published on occasion of the exhibition

Graz Architecture Rationalists, Aesthetes, Gut Instinct Architects, Democrats, Mediacrats 23.09.2017–28.01.2018 Kunsthaus Graz Universalmuseum Joanneum 4 Arthur Zalewski

6 Family Affairs

10 Mischa Kuball

12 Beautiful, tasteful, attractive?

18 What matter who’s speaking, someone said, what mat- ter who’s speaking?

30 Clean air and a lovely location

36 Continuity and change

40 Architecture is not only there for self-realisation

45 Energy from the sun is independent of all the oil sheiks and coal mines in the world. It shines on both the beggar and the millionaire

50 Only poverty has a future

56 Becoming involved, taking an active part, participating, with self-determination and joint decision-making

58 Julia Gaisbacher

62 Oliver Hangl

66 Interpretable, adaptable and extendable

78 Anna Meyer

80 Appendix Arthur Zalewski or drove along on his way to the objects. Even though the single objects and the Photography as an essay single images retain their autonomy, they are thought of and treated in relation to Arthur Zalewski went out in search of one another. Basically, Zalewski adopts places that have connections with both an essayistic understanding of photogra- exhibitions. He took photographs of the phy—he approaches the objects he wishes inside and the outside of the Kunsthaus, to photograph from various perspectives, Wolff-Plottegg’s residential complex in subjectively, unsystematically, discovering Seiersberg, Domenig’s Z savings bank in surprising cross connections and views of Vienna and Giencke’s greenhouses in Graz, the architecture of Graz. amongst others. Alongside these objects, all of which are presented in the exhibition Graz Architektur, he places photographs of other buildings in Graz, Styria or elsewhere. In this way, Zalewski establishes a network of relationships between the protagonists of the exhibition and those whose work is not shown there, between architecturally sophisticated projects and purely practi- cal ones, between masterpieces and purely Born in 1971 in Kędzierzyn-Koźle (PL), lives functional buildings with no design ambi- in Leipzig (DE) tion. Exhibitions and projects (selected): At first glance, many of Zaleweski’s photos OFFENE FRAGEN — FACE to FACE, Bun- seem like snapshots—they appear unspec- desverwaltungsgericht, Leipzig (2015); 12“, tacular and arbitrary, almost as though ASPN, Leipzig (2015); Aufstocker, Kunst- the artist had pressed the shutter release verein Leipzig (2014); Notes on Beijin­g, button at random. However, the images are ASPN, Leipzig (2014, solo); Abstraktion und based on a series of decisions—Zalewski Erschöpfung, Galerie b2, Leipzig (2014); photographs consistently with a focal Ortsbestimmung. Zeitgenössische Kunst length of 60 mm, slightly zooming in on the aus Sachsen, Museum Görlitz/Kaiser­trutz motif. The subject and framing are precisely (2013); Irreguläre und andere Tage, Kunst- chosen, and a similar precision is shown museum Dieselkraftwerk, Cottbus (2013); in the selection and presentation of the Why I Gray, Werkschau/Halle 12, Baumwoll- pictures. Whilst photographing, Zalewski spinnerei, Leipzig (2013); Messer im Was- proceeds in an associative manner, combin- ser / Noz w wodzie, Freunde der Städtischen ing coincidence with an interest in precise Sammlungen für Geschichte und Kultur e. image construction. The path between the V. Görlitz (2012); Alle Allein, ASPN, Leipzig objects he intends to photograph plays (2012, solo); RIGHT OF REFUSAL, Maga- an important role. Anything that catches zin4 - Kunstverein Bregenz (2012); since his interest just before he takes the photo 2011 numerous book and photo projects may become a picture in its own right. This with Spector Verlag Leipzig, Schauspiel means that the artist’s material collection Stuttgart, artist collective Liga und ASPN includes images of the routes he walked Leipzig.

4 5 Family Affairs to the multifunctional and medial interest of British architecture, above all of Cedric The reason for showing the works of Price, who for his part had inspired Archi- Günther Domenig, Konrad Frey, Volker gram. Frey was impressed by the Kunsthaus Giencke, Bernhard Hafner, Eilfried Huth, design by architects Cook/Fournier, which Szyszkowitz + Kowalski and Manfred Wolff- culminated in a friendship with Fournier. Plottegg lies not only in their architectural Frey, and later Manfred Wolff-Plottegg, were significance, but—even if this may initially the first points of contact in Graz when seem surprising—in their (multi-layered) the British architects began to set up their relation to Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, office. Karla Kowalski names Archigram as the creators of the Kunsthaus. I was inter- vital for her decision to add postgraduate ested, starting with the Kunsthaus and study at the AA School in London to her how it came into being, in investigating degree in architecture. Peter Cook was work- the works of those Graz-based architects ing as a lecturer there, with Colin Fournier who like Cook and Fournier were born in one of her fellow-students. After Kowalski’s the 1930s and 1940s and so belong to the time in London, the contact broke off. Only same generation. It is no exaggeration to when the Kunsthaus was consecrated did say that Graz and the TU had become a the three meet again. Bernhard Hafner met hub for contemporary building culture in Peter Cook and other Archigram members the second half of the 20th century. Impor- in Los Angeles in 1968/69, when he was tant architects such as Yona Friedman, Frei teaching at that city’s UCLA. While Peter Otto or Cedric Price came to this city, while Cook and Günther Domenig only got to conversely Graz architects were successful know each personally in 1980, the Briton beyond Austria’s borders for many years. had already previously published his Aus- trian colleague’s work in the Archigram mag- In the course of my research, it turned out azine. The Architektur Consult ZT GmbH, to that there are deep-reaching links between which Domenig still belonged at the time the Austrian and the British architects of the Kunsthaus competition, functioned sometimes going back several decades. as the contractor partner office in the con- Peter Cook and Eilfried Huth met in the struction of the Kunsthaus Graz. Volker mid-1980s on the occasion of the exhibition Giencke was the 1976 award winner of the Vision of Modernism. The Construction Prin- Shinkenchiku competition in Tokyo, at the ciple in Frankfurt’s Museum of Architecture, time the world’s largest and most important at which both Archigram and Huth/Domenig competition for modern architecture. The were represented. Eilfried Huth’s interest in only juror back then was Peter Cook. Cook British architecture, however, especially in and Giencke saw and met one another time Archigram and Cedric Price, goes back even and again after that, at large architectural further to the 1960s. Konrad Frey met Cook symposia, as jurors, at lectures and at Bien- during his time in London. He lived in the nials in Venice, etc. Giencke was also the British metropole from 1968 to 1974. Like chairman of the jury that decided upon the Huth, he was already familiar with Archi- building of the Kunsthaus. Fournier met gram beforehand: his Cowicle is a direct ref- Giencke through Manfred Wolff-Plottegg in erence to Michael Webb’s Cushicle. His state Graz in the 1990s. Fournier like Cook, was examination project at the TU Graz, the also a guest professor at the ./studio 3 at work on Kaiser-Josef-Platz, is also thanks Innsbruck University. Fournier and Wolff-

6 Plottegg have known each other since 1994. exists for him, and under which he also sub- They met frequently, talking about ‘God and sumes the exhibiting architects) as ‘cousins’ the devil in architecture’ (Plottegg), and not of the Kunsthaus, whereby in his eyes, his least—since Cook and Fournier had won the and Fournier’s contribution is ‘less spiky and Kunsthaus competition—about the situ- less local’. They see themselves very much ation of architects in Graz, too. They co- as one ‘family’, albeit one comprised of what translated Jean Baudrillard as well (includ- may be clearly regarded as some highly idi- ing Architecture: Truth or Radicalism?). osyncratic characters.

In the run-up to the exhibition I was fre- As in every family, there are always disa- quently asked whether these relations greements, and we seek to be more or less between Cook/Fournier and Graz architects close to some relatives; indeed, in some were important at all for the selection of cases we break off relations altogether. the architects exhibiting. This is assuredly This characterises relations among those not the only significant point for showing taking part in the exhibition titled Graz these eight positions. The works themselves Architecture: Rationalists, Aesthetes, Gut and the examination of their current socio- Instinct Architects, Democrats, Media- political relevance of course play the deci- crats. The show’s title, taken from the book sive role. This is because not all those who Architektur-Investitionen. ‘Grazer Schule’, have a connection to Cook/Fournier or were 13 Standpunkte (Forum Stadtpark, 1984), born in the same decade are automatically takes into account the diversity of its pro- represented. Beyond the architecture in the tagonists. The exhibition takes the variety narrow sense, I am interested in the fabric of architectural positions as its starting of mutual influences, collegial exchange point and does not seek to stick a label and the resultant effects on architectural on them such as the ‘Graz School’. A wide practice. I am convinced that even if those spectrum of different approaches is pre- involved may regard themselves as unique, sented, which, as I read it, overlap in certain the contacts and encounters among and points, yet are far apart in others. ‘Knots’ with each other produced those powerful are formed in the exhibition, which propose movements in architecture that perma- connections between the thoughts and nently changed thinking in this field and in projects—without, of course, claiming to be building. complete or indeed to possess any inter- pretational superiority. Several examples: ‘Does it (the relationship) really matter?’ the spatial, social and socio-economic re- Peter Cook asked me, only to add: ‘Of course definition of the family home was an issue such information/non-information is the for Szyszkowit­z + Kowalski, and Frey; pos- scourge of the historian!’ If we look at other sibilities of participation were played out in statements made both by Cook and Fournier, the programmes of Huth, and Szyszkowitz then they themselves create some links that + Kowalski; Huth/Domenig, Frey and Hafner were important for them to the architects investigated on various levels the use of in the exhibition living in Graz today. For structures and structural architecture; example, Fournier describes Giencke’s green- Giencke, Szyszkowitz + Kowalski and Huth, houses in the Botanical Garden as ‘favourite too, had and have a special interest in aes- buildings’ in Graz, or Cook speaks of build- thetics, without neglecting the functional, ings of the ‘Graz School’ (which definitely technical and socio-economic aspects of a

7 building; Szyszkowitz + Kowalski and Frey Vienna, yet they belong to another genera- pursued ecological agendas, like Huth/ tion and so look at the material equally Domenig with their Floraskin, even though from a certain proximity and distance. The their positions initially seem to lie far apart view from the outside can also be found from one another. Wolff-Plottegg and with us the curators, with the exhibition Domenig are concerned with authorship graphic designer Anna Lena von Helldorff, from opposing ends, as it were. Those are and with invited visual artists. Their role only some of the cross-connections that can best be compared with that of com- are formulated in the exhibition. Working mentators. They were tasked with engaging through the most varied ‘knots’ does not the architectural positions from a current play down individual approaches, nor differ- perspective. Arthur Zalewski sought out ing ones; rather, positions are placed in rela- places that have a link to both exhibi- tion to one another. tions: he took photographs both in and outside the Kunsthaus, he took pictures Graz Architecture: Rationalists, Aesthetes, that included Wolff-Plottegg’s housing com- Gut Instinct Architects, Democrats, Media- plex in Seiersberg, Domenig’s Z-Sparkasse crats is not restricted to the works of a in Vienna, and Giencke’s greenhouses in particular era, e.g. the 1960s and 1970s, Graz. These objects presented in the Graz but rather throws light on the development Architecture exhibition are extended by and transformation of ideas over time to the more buildings—whether from Graz, Styria present day, and of contexts of that time or from other regions. In this way Zalewski when compared with today. Projects that creates a network of relationships, specifi- have an explicit link to Cook and Fournier cally between the protagonists of the exhi- and/or Archigram, such as Greenhouse/ bitions shown in the Kunsthaus and those Botanical Garden by Giencke, City in Space that are not represented there, between by Hafner or Cowicle by Frey, are presented architecturally demanding and purely prag- in the show Up into the Unknown, thus rein- matic projects, between architectural mas- forcing the links between the two exhibition terpieces and functional buildings without projects. any design ambitions. Anna Meyer starts with the transitional zones between house, A key role is played in the exhibition by the animal and human, with hybrid architecture. view from the outside, so as to cast vari- She latches on to the author oft-quoted ous perspectives on the architects’ works: by Fournier, Jean Baudrillar­d: ‘Interesting the protagonists’ self-interpretation moves works of architecture are like monsters.’ In next to the perception influenced by curato- a literal interpretation, the wall becomes rial and art institutional aspects, and next the skin in Meyer’s paintings, the scaffold- to the view of both exhibition architects ing the bones, the house like a human, yet Niels Jonkhans (for Up into the Unknown) also the other way round: the skin becomes und Rainer Stadlbauer (Graz Architecture: the wall, the bones the scaffolding, and the Rationalists, Aesthetes, Gut Instinct Archi- human the house. Her hybrid architectural tects, Democrats, Mediacrats). Jonkhans creations allow a link to Wolff-Plottegg, too. was co-author of the competition design Meyer herself focuses on buildings with an as well as a leading collaborator in the amorphous character such as the Schul­ execution of the Kunsthaus, and Stadlbauer schwester refectory by Huth and Domenig, was Wolff-Plottegg’s assistant at the TU or Cook’s and Fournier’s Kunsthaus. Yet the

8 present as depicted by Meyer is anything but rosy; rather, it appears apocalyptic. Oliver Hangl adapts Showtime, a work cre- ated in 2010 at the invitation of the Insti- tute of Art in Public Space in Styria, which engaged with a housing complex planned along participatory lines, the Alte Post- straße by Szyszkowitz­ + Kowalski. Seven years after this project and more than 30 years after the housing complex was first occupied, Hangl produces an acoustic por- trait that renders audible the developments of this spatial-social vision and altered requirements in the life of the estate. Julia Gaisbacher starts with the Eschen hous- ing estate (Eschensiedlung) by Huth. After intensive research and including conversa- tions with former and present residents of the complex a series of photographs was created, both interior and exterior, which is presented, together with documentary and archive material and the working model that was in use more than 40 years ago. Mischa Kuball’s work from the public prepositions series has the term ‘utopia’ mutate into ‘dystopia’ on the BIX façade of the Kun- sthaus, and back again to ‘utopia’—thema- tising in the form of an endlessly repeated loop shifting perspectives on both archi- tectural and social developments. Utopian reflections linger like a far-off ideal now a weak echo in the present, waiting to be activated afresh, transferred and thus inter- preted. And here the circle closes for archi- tecture: many utopian-seeming reflections by Graz architects were real at one time, while today the realities of that period once again seem utopian.

Barbara Steiner

9 Mischa Kuball siderations seem like a distant ideal, a faint echo. They wait to be reactivated, trans- UTOPIA lated and interpreted, over and over again.

The Kunsthaus Graz can be interpreted as a utopian building that speaks of an (imag- ined) future, even today. Described in terms such as ‘living architecture’, ‘intelligent ex- hibition machine’ and ‘platform’, the build- ing goes back to ideas from the late 1960s and the 1970s. The new architecture was to be modifiable, adaptable, participative and responsive. Many of these ideas were impossible to put into practice, they remain drafts, even today.

The facade of the Kunsthaus was originally designed to be transparent, clearly reveal- ing the life in the interior of the exhibition Born in 1959 in Düsseldorf (DE), machine. Instead, it became a pulsating lives in Düsseldorf (DE) illuminated façade that serves as a third, virtual exhibition space, facing outwards to- Exhibitions and projects (selected): wards the city space. This is the very façade Licht auf Kirchner, Kirchner Museum Davos, that is used for Mischa Kuball’s latest work Davos (2016, solo); public preposition, les from the series public prepositions. An in- fleurs du mal (Blumen für Marl) scription of the word ‘utopia’ is transformed skulpture museum Glaskasten, Marl (2014, into ‘dystopia’ and back again, in an endless solo); public preposition, solidarity grid, loop. It poses questions related to changing SCAPE 6 & 7, Biennale Christchurch, Christ- perspectives, both in architectural and so- church/NZ (2013, solo); platon’s mirror, The cial developments. State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessa- loniki/Salon Muzeja savremene umetnosti, In 2009, the artist began to carry out in- Belgrade/Kunsthalle, Düsseldorf/Museu terventions in public space, titled public Nacional de arte contemporanea, museu prepositions, mostly of a temporary nature. do chiado, Lisbon/Lethaby Gallery, Central Again and again, the series explores the Saint Martins, London/Samca, Sofia/Muzeul question of what public space and political Naţional de Artă Contemporană, Bukarest public could be, and what relationship could (2012, solo); privat­e light/public light, exist between this space and works of art. Biennale Sao Paulo (1998, solo); refraction Certainly, these approaches include a return house, Synagoge Stommeln, Pulheim (1994, to concepts from the past, including social solo); bauhaus-block, Bauhaus Dessau, Des- utopias. sau (1992, solo); Projektionsraum 1:1:1, Kon- rad Fischer Galerie, Düsseldorf (1992, solo); For Mischa Kuball, public prepositions are Megazeichen, Mannesmann-Hochhaus, a tool that enables social developments to Düssel­dorf (1990, solo). be observed. In today’s world, utopian con- www.public-preposition.net

10

Beautiful, tasteful, attractive? Volker Giencke associates with ‘aesthet- ics, elegance, lightness and harmony’—a In everyday language, aesthetics is usu- well-formed appearance and wholeness ally equated with ‘beautiful, tasteful or in the sense of Hans Scharoun’s vision attractive’. In 1750/58, Alexander Gottlieb of organic architecture. This means that Baumgarten defined aesthetics as the ‘sci- function, materials and purposes are not ence of sensual perception’,* establishing it subjugated to a preconceived idea of form as an independent philosophical discipline or expression—the appearance of a build- in parallel with logic. Rational understand- ing is allowed to evolve on its own terms. ing should be accompanyed by cognition Giencke’s view opposes that of Günther via the senses. The meanings of aesthetics Domenig, whose entrance solution for the have broadened since Baumgarten—having Z-Sparkasse Favoriten he found ‘much too undergone a constant shift in humanistic baroque, heavy, quite offensive’. In fact, and cultural discourse. In keeping with the Domenig’s ‘attitude of exaggeration’*** was Greek word aísthēsis, aesthetics refers to finally one of the reasons why Giencke went perception—in concrete terms, a move- his own way, developing his own approach ment of the senses via perception. Various towards construction and the economy of experiences and configurations relating means, which create the expression of a to nature, everyday events and life are in- building. The methods and means of con- volved, along with reflection on the subject struction are openly displayed—they pro- of experience. vide the spatial experience, becoming the subject of aesthetic considerations. In this In Huth’s work, aesthetics is ‘aisthesis’, way, industrial buildings such as the Odörfer i.e. sensual perception and the knowledge company building and research facilities like it results in, and it is closely linked with the Greenhouses at the Botanical Garden of sociopolitical questions. This incorporates the University of Graz can certainly also be the ‘entire spectrum of negative and posi- understood as places of aesthetic and sen- tive experience of our reality as a symptom sual experience. of a development or a developmental state.’ * Alexander G. Baumgarten, Theoretische Ästhetik. Die Against this background, Huth describes grundlegenden Abschnitte aus der „Aesthetica“/Theory of the form of built objects as a ‘perceptible Aesthetics. The Fundamental Sections of the A‘esthetica’ ** (1750/58), translated and edited by Hans Rudolf Schweizer, manifestation of the social framework’. Hamburg 1983. Huth’s ‘Teaching experiments on aesthetic ** Eilfried Huth, Doris Pollet, Beteiligung, Mitbestimmung learning’ basically consist of perceptive im Wohnbau, Wohnmodell Deutschlandsberg Eschensiedlung, training to promote the gain of knowledge Arbeitsbericht 1972–76. *** Interview by Barbara Steiner with Volker Giencke, through sensual perception. Here, Huth 24.08.2016. is a representative of a reform movement that emerged in the 1970s, mainly initi- ated by educators, which called for an ‘ais- thetic change in aesthetics’. The aim was to open up the concept of aisthesis and make it accessible beyond the realms of ‘high’ art, to a certain extent democratising aesthetics.­

Aesthetics 12 Project name Unterrichtsversuche nership with Domenig was the organisa- zum ästhetischen Lernen (Teaching tion of the Styrian Academy in 1974, on Experiments on Aesthetic Learning) the theme of ‘Building Culture’. The event, Author Eilfried Huth (with Günther which addressed the subject of co-determi- Domenig until 1975) nation and participation in social housing, In collaboration with Hartmut Urban, attracted much attention, not least that Irmfried Windbichler of politicians. Alongside specific building Period 1972–1983 projects such as the Eschen development, Status Completed Huth’s Teaching Experiments on Aesthetic Location/place Deutschlandsberg, Graz, Learning were committed to communicating Berlin contents that he considered important with Client/developer 1974: Styrian Academy regard to the association between architec- Project type Workshops ture and society. In May 1974, he carried out workshops at the Girls’ Secondary School Association between architecture and Deutschlandsberg and the Arts Education society Gymnasium, teaching participants how to Eilfried Huth has always been interested plan social housing projects from the point in the mediation of architecture and its of view of various roles and follow them aesthetic and social conditions. In Huth’s through to the implementation stages. opinion, teaching (and learning from one Workshops of this nature were later held at another) is the logical continuation of prac- the Academic Gymnasium in Graz and at the tical experience with participation models. Hochschule in Berlin. The last commission he undertook in part-

Aesthetics 13 Project name Church in Aigen Architecture Volker Giencke In collaboration with Alfred Bramberger, Markus Dorner, Robert Felber, Claudius Pratsch, Eckhart Rhode; Alois Winkler (structure planning); Fritz Panzer (Kunst am Bau, glass painting) Period 1985–1992 Status Completed Location/place Aigen im Ennstal, Styria Client/developer Municipality of Aigen im Ennstal and diocese Graz-Seckau Project type Sacred building

The church leaves the village The church, with its parish house and free- standing bell tower, is separated from the village centre by a brook. Three narrow footbridges built from steel and oak cross over the brook, linking the village square with the church square. The ground plan of the church is an irregular polygon with stout concrete walls on the north and east sides, and coloured glass walls towards the south and west. A cavity wall accommodates the staircase to the roof, the confessional and an organ niche. The church interior is low- ered, whilst the chancel is slightly elevated. The choir platform is situated opposite the altar. A large green roof covers part of the church square, closing the church interior with a bellied wooden ceiling. The cubiform parish house is a steel construction with larch and glass façades. According to its ground plan, the church tower is a distorted rectangle. It is 32 m high, resting upon a broad basement and topped by a belfry. Its steel framework is panelled with glass sheets that are attached elastically and point by point.

Aesthetics 14 District centre for banking, culture and communication Domenig’s concept for the construction of the Zentralsparkasse and Kommerzialbank in Vienna was that all materials were to be used in their raw manufactured state, and that the in-house installations and con- struction work were not to be concealed. The visible pipelines, supply cables, red steel roof girders and the sculptural details give the building something of a surreal appearance, even today. Many decisions relating to the construction procedure were made on site, in collaboration with workers and craftsmen. This process was modelled on the medieval ‘mason’s lodge’, founded on qualified training and overseen by the ‘mas- ter’ as the highest authority. Domenig understood the cooperation between all the participants as a form of working together to create a Gesamtkunst- werk. The supports, made of moulded concrete (‘the trees’), form the basic static struc- ture; they also hold the steel mesh of the courtyard roof. The spatial sculptures—‘The Water’ and ‘The Hand’—have no immedi- ate structural function;* for Domenig, they created an important association with the visual arts. The enormous hand, depicting the architect’s (crippled) ring finger and the forman’s forefinger, is a symbol of the close collaboration between the two. The sculptural elements also feature red roots that appear to be growing out of the roof. Project name Zentralsparkasse Favoriten A spectacular stainless steel façade fronts (Central savings bank Favoriten) the building, which appears to be ‘shedding Author Günther Domenig its scales’ towards the bottom, bulging out In collaboration with Emanuel Anders, above the entrance area. The entrance itself Volker Giencke has also been designed sculpturally, with Period 1974–1979 welding seams that have been left inten- Status Completed tionally unconcealed. Location/place Vienna, Favoriten district Client/developer Zentralsparkasse * ‘The hand’ did however have the ‘function’ of concealing the courtyard’s roof drainage system. Construction task/type Office building

Aesthetics 15 Project name Odörfer book written by Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen on Architecture Volker Giencke Volker Giencke and Austrian architecture In collaboration with Davide Ferrero, Susi (Ritter-Verlag & MIT Press, Massachusetts Fritzer, Uta Giencke, Gino Kratzer, Reinhard 1996). Today, the building is situated in the Kropf, Eeva Liisa Pelkonen industrial area of the town. Period 1989–1992 Particularly striking is the glass roof, façade Status Completed and roof all in one, which inclines towards Location/place Klagenfurt, Carinthia the north. It can be opened along its entire Client/developer Odörfer-Röhrenhof, Graz length, and appears transparent, reflective Project type Exhibition, office and company or shiny, depending on the lighting condi- building, warehouse tions. On the southern side of the building, which is used for goods deliveries, the roof Caution, architecture! projects considerably over the building. The The company building that houses the exhibition and sales hall is equipped with sanitation wholesaler Odörfer, situated on a a series of special details—hanging show- bypass road in Klagenfurt, functions as an cases, suspended flights of stairs, free- office complex, exhibition and sales areas standing glass walls and so-called ‘meeting and a warehouse. When it was erected, it terraces’. The play of light, a distinguishing was the first building set in the midst of characteristic of both the interior and the mainly agriculturally used land. During the exterior of the building, is enhanced by construction phase, when a series of colli- means of a water basin adjoining the glass sions occurred on the ringroad, a warning façade. Giencke’s attention to detail also sign was erected with the inscription ‘Ach- comes into play in the planting in the hall— tung Architektur!’ (caution, architecture). architectural elements alternate with date ‘Achtung Architektur’ is also the title of a palms, mimosas and jacaranda trees.

Aesthetics 16 Project name Büro- und Lagergebäude entrance, where it appears to be suspended Zultner (Zultner offices and warehouse) in mid-air. In a discreet yet effective man- Authors Hermann Eisenköck, Günther ner, the struts of the office wing allude to Domenig the first letter of the company name. In In collaboration with Christian Halm, Peter principle, the shape of the roof can also be Kaschnig, Sabine Krampl, Annemarie interpreted as a huge Z. The construction Scheidl; Wendl ZT-GmbH (structure and materials reinforce the character of planning) an industrial building. However, in keeping Period 2000–2001 with the requirements of the enterprise, the Status Completed building goes beyond the mere fulfilment of Location/place Graz-St. Peter functions—it can be also understood in the Client/developer Wilhelm Zultner und Co sense of an aesthetic statement. Construction task/type Company building Not only by alluding to the letter ‘Z’, but also through the overall impression of the The most impressive feature of the building building—especially its materiality, i.e. with that houses ZULTNER Metall GmbH in Graz the use of aluminium slats and Rheinzink is the roof construction, with its expressive panels—the architects make direct refer- appearance. The warehouse, workshops, ence to the client, ZULTNER Metall GmbH, presentation and sales areas and a small a stockholding wholesaler specialising in parts storage room are situated beneath stainless steel, aluminium, non-ferrous met- this roof. The office wing runs diagonally to als, welding technology and synthetics. the large roofing area, directly above the

Aesthetics 17 What matter who’s speaking, someone ship, the role of the architect, and planning said, what matter who’s speaking?* in architecture.

The concept of the autonomous, crea- To a certain extent, Günther Domenig can be tive author ruling over his work has been seen as the counter-position to Plottegg: rendered problematic throughout the 20th At first glance form and design, a strong century from various sides. Best known of all (authorial) subject and pathos-laden plac- are the reflections on authorship by Roland ings—understood as an emotional, theat- Barthes or Michel Foucault, for example. rical and seemingly exaggerated expres- They opposed the notion that the author— sion—take priority. As a parallel to the following the Romantic idea of the genius— artist Walter Pichler—highly regarded by was not only the author of a text, but also Domenig—who built houses for his sculp- the authority who determines its meaning. tures, Domenig sought to bring architecture The text-supported interpretation then ever closer to the sculpture. His architec- advanced, which recognises readers and tural spatial sculptures are an expression their interpretative abilities as the authority of this undertaking. His connection to in lending meaning in the process of identi- Pichler is also the use of individual mythol- fying significance. In the case of Barthes, we ogy, meaning a retreat into the private and thus find the formulation: the ‘death of the subjective while simultaneously drawing on author’ enables the ‘birth of the reader’.** (nature-based) mythologies.

In the exhibition, it is above all Manfred Yet ultimately in the case of Domenig, form Wolff-Plottegg who opposes the demiurgic is exploded, the authoritarian subject is architect, who sees himself as ‘creator god’, permeable due to the joint creation and located between a superior being who only collaboration, and the charged nature of brings forth the best possible, and a dubi- the pathos-laden formulae and individual ous figure who has created an imperfect mythologies are undermined by practical world marked by a wide range of evils. In functions. Thus ‘The Hand’, for example, the Metamorphose einer Stadtwohnung, the an over-sized three-dimensional plac- Zusammengebrochenes Bett, the architec- ing in the interior of the Zentralsparkasse tural designs or generators, authorship is Wien-Favoriten, also serves as visual cover, transferred to chance, to force and to (tech- while ‘The Rocket’, an object located in the nical) systems, while the personal gesture basement of the Steinhaus that is focused or signature evaporates. The appearance on the family grave in neighbouring Feld- of the objects and projects concerned is kirchen, acts as a basin for catching rain neither determined in advance, nor can it water. The great authorial gesture crumbles, be predicted or controlled. The designs— like the form. consequences of algorithmic manipula- tions—would like to be interpreted, both * Samuel Beckett, quoted by Michel Foucault: ‘What is an Author?’ (1969), in: Aesthetics, Method, and Epistemology, by Plottegg and by others. Yet although ed. by James D. Faubion, New York 1998, p. 205. he removes authorship on the one hand, ** Roland Barthes: ‘The Death of the Author’ (1967), in: it comes into play through the anticipated Image Music Text, ed. by Stephen Heath, London 1977, p. 142. signature, the addition of ‘already’, and the respective dating, on the other. Plottegg thus provokes confrontations with author-

Authorship 18 I do not design, I change the rules In 1972, Plottegg took part in a course on furniture manufacture at the Techni- cal University of Graz. He introduced Col- lapsed Bed as his new design for a bed. The process of collapsing itself was defined as the planning method, a non-reflecting pro- cedure, a direct approach to objects. It did not start out from pre-formulated concepts, a title, a fixed conception of form or inten- tion. The K.R.A.C.H. (‘crash’) at the moment of collapse is a symbol for the unstoppable nature of a corporeal process, the simulta- neity of active force and outcome. In Metamorphosis of a Town Flat, also from 1972, Plottegg laid a cloth over all of the furniture in the flat and reinforced it with a robust layer of glass fibre synthetic. Peat dust and humus was to be scattered to encourage plant growth. Animals were also to be taken into the flat—for example a billy goat—and a fresh water standpipe tapped, in order to create constant changes. The appearance is neither predetermined, fore- seeable nor controllable. Project name Zusammengebrochenes Bett In both the Collapsed Bed and the Meta- (Collapsed Bed) morphosis of a Town Flat, Plottegg can- Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg celled out the usual planning patterns and In collaboration with Schwerkraft familiar ideas of a bed or a flat. Attention Period as early as 1971 was shifted from the object to the algo- Status Completed rithm*, to the process—in one case to the Location/place Lichtenfelsgasse, Graz crash that occurs when something falls to Client/developer pieces, and in the other to the (slow) per- Project type Furniture manufacture manent transformation of the flat itself and the lifestyle habits within it. Project name Metamorphose einer Stadtwohnung (Metamorphosis of a Town * An algorithm describes a rule or a procedure. Algorithms are found both in the analogue and in the digital world. Flat) Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg In collaboration with Billy goat Period as early as 1971 Status Completed Location/place Lichtenfelsgasse, Graz Client/developer Project type Installation

Authorship 19 Hybrid Architecture: House & Cow On a superficial level, this concerns the transformation of one object into another— morphing, before the procedure became widespread. In the background, the draw- ing algorithm is active—the pencil is drawn along the T-square, along a template, along the contours seen by the eye or imagined in the brain. So when a house is being drawn, the pencil could be drawn around the con- tours of a cow—the cow could be used as the template, so to speak. In this self- developed form finding programme, hybrids emerge by means of morphing. Input is interchangeable in an algorithm, so that if one starts out with a Thonet chair Project name Hybrid Architektur (Hybrid and Le Corbusier’s Modulor*, the same Architecture) script** generates either a new chair or a Authors Manfred Wolff-Plottegg, Georg new Modulor. From a conventional house Gröller, Peter Hellweger, Oskar Panizza layout and the borderlines of Austria, the In collaboration with Peter Lipp/VAX TU ‘Austria House’ emerges. Hybrid architec- Graz ture becomes the forerunner of the Binary Period as early as 1980 House. Status Completed Location/place Künstlerhaus Graz (1981) * The Modulor is a scale of proportions developed by the architect Le Corbusier between 1942 and 1955. Client/developer ZV Steiermark ** A ‘script’ is a sequence of commands. Project type Computer design

Authorship 20 Analogue Generator The Analogue Generator originated in 1987, when a model for a competition was being built. Whilst documents were being copied, the overhead transparencies became ther- mally warped. They were labelled, signed and placed into an acrylic glass box with a horsehair (= line). If it is shaken vigorously Project name Analoger Generator or put down abruptly, continual configura- (Analogue Generator) tions, new designs emerge, in a similar way Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg to ‘throwing a dice’. On the one hand, due to In collaboration with any user the random factor, Plottegg cancels out the Period as early as 1987 issue of authorship. However, it comes into Status Completed play again in the form of the anticipated Location/place signature and date. No matter who shakes Client/developer the box, Plottegg is the original author from Construction task/type Object ‘as early as 1987’.

Authorship 21 Digital Generator Input consists of 2½ D data from the ‘Sonnen Busen Hammer’ logo of ‘Lord Jim Loge’, originally a drawing by Martin Kip- penberger, Albert Oehlen and Wolfgang Bauer. The ‘generated’ lines come from a data crash that occurred when data from one operating system (Plottegg/DOS) was Project name Digitaler Generator (Digital being transferred to another (Kupelwieser/ Generator) Mac OS) in 1991. The data was being sent Authors Manfred Wolff-Plottegg, via modem from Graz to Amersfoort to the Hans Kupelwieser exhibition The Synthetic Dimension. A com- In collaboration with PC 385/MAC ment generated via MS-Word/Macro was Period as early as 1991 added: ‘README.1ST / update 9728 Bytes Status Completed 10/12/1991 10:52 am’. Location/place De Zonnehof, Amersfoort Client/developer ‘Lord Jim Loge’ was a cooperation of several Project type Computer design artists.

Authorship 22 Neuronal Generator The installation Neuronal Architecture Gen- erator is an experimental arrangement on the subject of digital creativity. The princi- ple is the equation: pulse sequences (spike trains) in biological organisms = binary sets of symbols (bit strings) = data (coordinates, vectors) interpretable as bodies (solids). Project name Neuronaler Generator This links three areas with one another: (Neuronal Generator) ‘the world in our heads’, ‘the world of dig- Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg ital data processing’ and the ‘world of the In collaboration with Wolfgang Maass, generation of new images/spaces/architec- Harry Fuchs, Andreas Gruber tures’. Plottegg’s installation illustrates the Period as early as 1999, 2000, 2004 fact that the production of images/spaces/ Status Completed architectures must no longer originate from Location/place Vienna Künstlerhaus, Neue the human being. Data does not have to be Galerie Graz, ZKM Karlsruhe processed by the brain—creativity can be Client/developer outsourced. Project type Computer design The programme runs live in the exhibition.

Authorship 23 Hyper-Hybrid Generator On a building site on an island at Second Life*, a script continually drops building components/objects on the island. The building components automatically form architectural agglomerations, join together in multiple combinations and constructions, combine to form spatial constellations and create different interiors and sequences of free spaces. After a certain unit of time has Project name Hyper-Hybrid Generator passed, individual objects disperse and dis- Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg appear spontaneously, only to fall back onto In collaboration with Jochen Hoog, Lukas the island and generate new configurations. Ofner, Johannes Sperlhofer This happens continuously. The diversity of Period as early as 2008 the building components and the three-di- Status Completed mensionality of the virtual surroundings Location/place Internet, Bienal de Arte provide continually new spatial experiences. Contemporáneo de Sevilla Client/developer * An online 3D-infrastructure for virtual worlds created by Projekt type Installation users that has been available since 2003.

Authorship 24 Content Generator II The quantities of data available on the In- ternet are growing, but the rules relating to how information can be accessed—for example via search engines—are far from transparent. For the ZKM Karlsruhe, in collaboration with Richard Schaffranek, Plottegg developed the Content Generator I. From a large quantity of quotations on the theme of globalisation, individual sections are reassembled—generated—to form new statements on globalisation.The piecewise Project name Content Generator II selection and assembly of this information Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg creates new combinations—new content. In collaboration with Richard Schaffranek In the Content Generator II algorithm, two Period 2017 processes run side by side. A ‘selector’ Status Completed generates new text fragments/headlines, Location/place Internet and an ‘accumulator’ taps into constantly Client/developer new sources, on the basis of the generated Project type Generator headlines.

Authorship 25 It is easier to change the rules in a computer than to control our own brain or behaviour In 1985, in collaboration with Maze Zechner, Plottegg participated in the competition for the ReSoWi Centre at the University of Graz. In keeping with the spatial and functional programme specified in the tender— a building with over 500 rooms was to be designed—a script was used to calculate the proportions of the rooms, surface distri- Project name ReSoWi-Zentrum Universität bution, superimpositions, contours, building Graz, ReSoWi Centre University of Graz structures and finally diagrams. (competition) This led to the statement: ‘I do not design Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg with my brain or with my gut feeling, but In collaboration with Martin Zechner with my little finger!’ (pressing the enter Period as early as 1985 key). By means of the computer application, Status Not realised Plottegg distances himself from traditional Location/place Graz patterns of behaviour, evaluation and pro- Client/developer duction. Authorship is transferred to sys- University of Graz/BIG tems, the personal gesture/touch vanishes, Construction task/type University building but the works still remain typically Plottegg.

Authorship 26 Project name Das Steinhaus (The Stone dinal axis stretching towards the lake, over House) a slightly staggered jetty that also leads Author Günther Domenig into the lake, the main open-plan rooms of In collaboration with Gilbert Acham, the house are grouped centrifugally, from Hermann Eisenköck, Johannes Dullnigg, the centre towards the edges. Building com- Andreas Gruber, Manfred Klement, Herbert ponents tower over one another, push into Liska, Armin Lixl, Wolfgang Petek, Gerhard each other, surfaces and structures burst Wallner, Wolfgang Wimmer, Peter Zinganel; open, penetrate cavities, form canyons. At Harald Egger (structure planning) the centre of the building there is a fountain, Period 1986–2008 for Domenig ‘the source of all life’—it also Status Completed represents the starting point of the house Location/place Steindorf at Lake Ossiach, itself, as the architectural model of the Carinthia Stone House clearly demonstrates. Refer- Client/developer ences to the four elements theory—fire, air, Construction task/type Workshop for earth and water, elements that define all architecture states of being—are found in the house. A rocket (which also functions as a collecting The fractured house basin for rainwater) is directed at the fam- In 1959 Günther Domenig and his brother ily grave in the neighbouring Feldkirchen. inherited the property in Steindorf from their Domenig always referred to his own experi- grandmother. Domenig had already thought ences and memories, the surrounding coun- of creating a house for communal use, a tryside, and he aimed to give these a mate- collective workshop. However, Domenig was rial presence within the house. The Stone only in a position to begin building in 1986. House brings together concepts of home/ The scale of the undertaking brought the localisation and universal thoughts, shelter architect to the brink of his financial lim- and subjection, departure and ‘fracturing’*. its—continual changes to the design took decades to complete, leading right up to the * Domenig’s series of sketches Architektonische Zerbrechun- gen (Architectonic Fracturings) arose from a study of mountain time of his death. Around a central longitu- rocks. The Stone House can also be viewed in this context.

Authorship 27 Good for nothing, quite useless Domenig worked on the Nix-Nuz-Nix for many years, a technically refined, bird-like structure that cannot fly and ‘is good for nothing, quite useless’. Originally, the bird was created to accentuate the corner of a branch of the Zentralsparkasse in Graz. In this context, Domenig spoke of an architec- tural ‘amplifying feature’. The Nix-Nuz-Nix was too expensive for the Project name Vogel Nix-Nuz-Nix client, so Domenig kept it. The ‘bird’ became (Nix-Nuz-Nix Bird) his alter ego, celebrating its ‘birthday’ on Author Günther Domenig the same day as its creator. Over time, the In collaboration with Andreas Gruber, Nix-Nuz-Nix became a ‘decorative and ad- Takasaki Masaharu vertising bird’. Engineered by the company Period 1983 Treiber, the Nix-Nuz-Nix may not have been Status Completed able to fly, but it was a miracle of technical Location/place Steinhaus at Lake Ossiach, perfection. With its movable joints, it was Carinthia used as a prototype for the examination of Client/developer Originally Z-Bank Graz; constructive nodes for support systems. later modified Today, this edition of the Nix-Nuz-Nix is Project type Object located in the interior of the Stone House.

Authorship 28 Project name Explosion Stone House). Although the Nix-Nuz-Nix Author Günther Domenig cannot fly, Domenig built a launch pad for it In collaboration with that appeared to have exploded—i.e. it was Period 1984 of no direct use, just like the bird itself. Do- Status Completed menig interlinks two kinds of explosions— Location/place Air raid shelter in structures that have been fragmented in a the Graz Schlossberg, exhibition controlled, calculated way, and forms that ‘Architekturvisionen’ (Visions of have been blown up in an uncontrolled man- Architecture) ner. The title of this exhibition in 1984, Ar- Client/developer Festival steirischer herbst chitekturvisionen, can also be applied to the Project type Exhibition contribution installation. They are situated on a ‘launch pad’, they can fly or ‘explode’, but they can Movement—destruction— also be brought down at great speed. On transformation—renewal the occasion of an exhibition of his Stone In the 1980s, Domenig produced a series House drawings at the Austrian Museum entitled Explosions—including a project for of Applied Arts in Vienna in 2007, Domenig business premises in Villach in 1982 and staged another Explosion in the entrance a contribution to the exhibition Architek- area. He later installed it on the forecourt of turvisionen (Visions of Architecture) at the the Stone House. Here, again, departure and steirischer herbst festival in 1984. It is termination, the ‘blowing up’ of solid, stable concerned with structures and installations matter (form) are closely interrelated with that appear to be the result of explosions. burial, burden and heaviness. As in other In the air raid shelter at the Graz Schloss- projects, a practical function lies beneath berg, Domenig built a launch pad for his the symbolic power—the Explosion con- Nix-Nuz-Nix and showed the video film Der ceals the drainage system in the forecourt. Flug über das Steinhaus (Flight over the

Authorship 29 Clean air and a lovely location* Architects are attaching more and more sig- nificance to economic and ecological factors A detached house is a building that, by and to the codetermination of the clients. definition, is traditionally conceived as a The usage of the house is thought of on a residential house for a single family. temporary basis, i.e. certain characteristics of the house can be activated as required, It is not resource-friendly, as it takes up or the inhabitants can discover them as more land than terraces or blocks, and is no they use the house, and adopt them as their longer in keeping with the social realities own. Manfred Wolff-Plottegg’s Das Binäre and lifestyles of its inhabitants today. Haus represents a special case: considered However, the prophecy—‘the detached in the context of the family home, not only house would disappear’, made by Huth and the house is deconstructed, but the range Domenig—turned out to be wrong. The of desires associated with it. free-standing family home is still at the top of many people’s wish list. However, it * Huth & Domenig, Der Wohnbau, 1973. is subject to increased requirements and ** Konrad Frey, conversation with Ingrid Böck, 07.12.2016. the building of a detached house today is expected to be economic, energy-efficient, functional and socially viable.

Against this background, it seems only natural that, for several decades now, this form of housing has been critically reviewed by architects on many levels—from spatial organisation to building economy up to ecological considerations and their embedding in the landscape.

In this exhibition, Szyszkowitz + Kowalski (House above Graz, Zusertal House) and Konrad Frey (Zankel House, Low Budget Loft House) in particular turn their attention to the task of building the detached house. Eil- fried Huth is also represented with his Wein- burg House. An especially important role is played by communal spaces, which become larger and more open in this context. The house community is no longer restricted to family members. The internal organisa- tion of the house is redefined by creating a central area—a meeting place—for the house community. The home is seen more as a ‘time/space/elective area for a specific yet changeable temporary community, e.g. a family’.**

Detached house 30 Project name Haus über Graz (House over spatial complexity both in the inner and Graz) external areas, which is also expressed Author/in Szyszkowitz + Kowalski in the diverse links between the interior In collaboration with Christo Grigorow spaces concerned and the surrounding (structural design) nature, as expressly wished for by the cli- Period 1972–1974 ents. Many protected and open ‘external Status Completed places’ are created in this manner, which Location/place Graz-Mariatrost can be used according to the season and Client/developer Private individual needs. The spatial zones of the Project type Detached house interior flow vertically and horizontally into one another. Special attention is paid to Architecture as establishing-a-relation the living and communal rooms, to which The plot is the tip of a hill pointing south- smaller-sized retreat areas for family mem- wards with an old stock of trees framing the bers are adjoined. view of the Graz roofscape. The house was The external walls and roof were conceived designed in terms of colour, form and func- in double-leaf fashion; the roof spans a tion for this situation. reinforced concrete framework that is self- The house, hill and trees interrelate with supporting. The surface of the building con- one another. The body of the house, drop- sists of prefabricated wooden elements with ping vertically to the slope, enables a high plastic-coated steel plates affixed to them.

Detached house 31 Project name Haus Zankel (Zankel House) ratory for new forms of living and working, Author Konrad Frey and for the active and passive use of solar In collaboration with Karl Zankel, Wolfram energy. In accordance with the client’s wish Walluschek-Wallfeld (static), Institute for solar energy heating, the entire exterior for Environmental Research, Graz (solar shell facing towards the south was used as a technology) solar collector. The shiny plastic strips that Period 1978–1985 rise on an alternately sloping and vertical Status Completed incline consist of Tedlar foil, and are clamped Location/place Prévessin near Geneva into specially developed profiles. The solar Client/developer Karl Zankel collector completely covers both living Project type Detached house tracts, whilst the translucent, filigree shell of the central atrium functions as a ‘sun space’. The house as a poetic request programme A steel structure was erected, and the con- Between 1978 and 1985, in collabora- struction was completed using prefabricated tion with his client Karl Zankel, a physicist lightweight concrete roofs, shell compo- at CERN, Konrad Frey planned a house in nents made of wooden layered boards, and Prévessin near Geneva. The ‘Sun House’ was plasterboard partition walls. The construc- to be developed in harmony with the old tree tion of most of the house was carried out population on the site, and was to have a by the client himself, with the help of semi- light, spacious and welcoming atmosphere. skilled workers from Styria. New cost-effec- Due to the open character of the spatial tive materials and adhesive techniques were organisation—referred to by Konrad Frey as used for the first time—bitumen shingles ‘the client’s poetic request programme’— as a universal outer shell and the bonded there was scope for many different kinds of ‘pure Plexiglass gate’ (‘aircraft wing’) for the unexpected functions. The design was not entrance to the garden, six metres wide. only to incorporate a place of residence for These technical details resulted from the the family of four, but also a separate wing pioneering spirit and experimental enthusi- to accommodate numerous guests. asm of Frey and Zankel, who were an ideally Frey and Zankel made the house into a labo- matched team.

Detached house 32 Organic architecture The detached house in Weinburg, southeast Project name Haus Weinburg (Weinburg Styria, is an example of organic architecture. House) The design of the house, which is embedded Author Eilfried Huth in the landscape, was developed on the ba- In collaboration with Heribert Altenbacher sis of codetermination regarding decisions and the Lackner family related to both materials and form. Still Period 1978–1982 resident in the house today, it was not only Status Completed the Lackner family who were able to make Location/place Weinburg am Saßbach, considerable contributions to the design— Styria the craftsmen also participated in the de- Client Familie Lackner cision-making processes that arose during Project type Detached house the construction of the house.

Detached house 33 Project name Haus Zusertal (Zusertal ing over to the roof shape with its diverging House) barrels. Author/in Szyszkowitz + Kowalski The central feature of the house is the spa- In collaboration with Ernst Giselbrecht; cious hall, built over two storeys. Opening Christo Grigorow (structure planning) up towards the south in a visual sense, it Period 1979–1981 determines the design of the entire building. Status Completed The inward convex curve of the façade and Location/place Graz–Geidorf the glass roofing allow the sun to penetrate Client/developer private the depths of the house. On the upper floor, Project type Detached house the small family bedrooms are situated along a U-shaped gallery. The dominat- The house in the valley ing colour is the grey-green of the painted The three-storey house, built for a couple wooden lagging, which reflects the sur- with four children, lies in a valley and is rounding green space. Contrast is provided surrounded by an old stock of trees that by the muted red of the plaster elements are part of a conservation area. The house and the door soffits. This range of colours is is based on a rectangular floor plan, the repeated for the interior of the hall, particu- narrow side of which faces towards the larly in the red tone of the skylight struc- driveway. The entrance front, situated on ture. In line with the interlinking between the long side of the building, is highlighted the architecture and the surroundings, with a small glass gable. A stringent axial Szyszkowitz + Kowalski developed their own symmetry emphasises the long side, lead- concept for the garden.

Detached house 34 Project name Das Binäre Haus (The Binary data that happened to be on the hard disc— House) of a random house, kindergarten and fitness Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg centre—like how builders and architects In collaboration with Christoph Zechner usually blend various ideal images and mem- Period as early as 1988 ories. The input is interchangeable; all the Status Completed datasets can be manipulated, as they can be Location/place CPU (central processing differently interpreted and vary in their uses. unit) Two parallel lines no longer necessarily Client/developer mean a wall—the meanings and interpreta- Construction task/type Computer tions of lines, grids, patterns and surfaces generated architecture shift—for the time being they are nothing more than anonymous surfaces, patterns, The Binary House grids and lines on the monitor that require In 1988, Plottegg and Cezet Zechner interpretation. Changeable in all directions, designed the Binary House for the inter- in the design process directions change, national competition ‘La casa più bella del borders become blurred, dimensions jump mondo’. For this, details were mixed from 3D and perspectives flicker.

Detached house 35 Continuity and change centuries-old building stock. In this way, he positioned the original structure of the Großlobming Castle (Szyzkowitz + Kowalski­), abbey, building on this step by step, and Seckau Abbey (Volker Giencke) and the changing the ensemble to meet modern-day Monta­n University Leoben (Bernhard Hafner) usage requirements. The additions sup- are examples of ways of dealing with histor- port the old building substance, which in ical building stock. In the late 1970s inter- turn supported the new building parts. In est grew both on the part of commissioners extending the Montan University, Hafner and architects in engaging with historical layered three façades on top of each other, buildings. The focus was not on complete as it were, whereby aerial space was created demolition, but rather a dialogue with between the old building and the extension, what already existed. The buildings were another room to be used—a connection, extended and expanded in line with the new but also a ‘buffer zone’. In all three cases, social requirements. the extensions and additions remain clearly visible; they do not subordinate themselves In several construction phases and with an to the old building substance, but rather axial layout, Szyzkowitz + Kowalski added communicate confidently with the latter. extensions with individual character to The qualities of each respective place were Großlobming Castle, Gliencke developed a condensed and available potential of the multistage concept for the overall renova- building substance is utilised. tion of Seckau Abbey that envisaged both adaptation to new functions together with some demolition and new building, while Hafner related old and new building parts in such a way at the Montan University Leoben that a new space arose between the two. Szyzkowitz + Kowalski evoke associations with a ‘castle’ by means of an outside staircase, forecourt and defensive wall, for Großlobming only received its present appearance due to reconstruction and extensions carried out in the 19th century. By employing industrial production meth- ods, modern building materials and colours, they transferred historical props to the present, thereby also transforming these, connecting them with the old building stock and so taking account of its new function as a educational institution. Buildings, courts and gardens all form an overall structure with different accents. In his conversion and extension of Seckau Abbey, Giencke chose contemporary construction meth- ods and materials (for example, concrete, glass, steel), which clearly contrast with the

Continuity and change 36 Opposing Castle Großlobming Castle, which houses a college for agriculture and food economy, has been converted several times over the centuries. In several construction phases, Szyszkowit­z + Kowalski added new axially coupled buildings. The first structure to be added is symmetrically composed in bold segments, opening up towards both the castle and the garden. The main entrance to the college was moved to a new position between the old and new building, and the entrances and exits were shifted asymmetrically. Here, Szyszkowitz + Kowalski make reference to baroque flights of steps and forecourt, and give the new building the appearance of a real fortress. These references are inter- preted in a contemporary way with the use of serial industrial fabrication methods and modern building materials, translating them into a contemporary vocabulary. The result is a fantastic and expressive structure that communicates with the old castle. With the Project name Schloss Großlobming additional building, Szyszkowitz + Kowalski Fachschule und Kulturzentrum/ Volks­ create an ‘opposing castle’. It not only lies schule (Großlobming Castle College and opposite the old building, but also presents Cultural Centre/Primary School a striking contrast to the original complex. Author/in Szyszkowitz + Kowalski In a final construction phase, also axisym- In collaboration with Werner Wratschko, metrically arranged and referring to the Manfred Zernig, Hermann Eisenköck, Ernst sections that had already been completed, a Giselbrecht, Angela Klinger-Lohr, Meggy primary school was erected on a lower level. Kriwetz, Manfred Partl, Herbert Liska, Finally, the buildings, their courtyards and Johann Schmitzberger, Adi Schmölzer, gardens form an overall structure with diffe- Alfred Sturm, Gerry Wratschko/Rolf Seifert, rent accents. Andreas Gratl, Machel Caron, Gerald Flock, Werner Kanduth, Robert Leykam, Horst Schwarzl; Christo Grigorow (structure planning) Period 1979–1981/1994–1996 Status Completed Location/place Großlobming, Styria Client/developer Province of Styria Project type Refurbishment and new construction in two phases

Continuity and change 37 Der Nordtrakt wurde teilweise abgebrochen und neu aufgebaut, wobei (whereas) das Monastic architecture was never really denkmalgeschützte Äußere kaum verändert about cost-effectiveness, but it was wurde, aber neues Material Verwendung always imaginative fand. Today, the Benedictine monastery and Stiftsgymnasium Seckau, with its Roman- Während Although der Zugang zur Sport- esque basilica, is one of Styria’s greatest halle innerhalb der Anlage liegt, kragt der architectural masterpieces. Volker Giencke Neubau mit seiner dreiseitigen, ohne sicht- won the competition for the adaptation bare Trägerkonstruktion gehaltenen Glas- of the monastery complex and secondary fassade aus den Klostermauern heraus. Der school as early as 1988. Due to the mod- ebenfalls neu gebaute, frei geformte Choral- est budget, he developed a concept to raum, der für Veranstaltungen genutzt wird, complete the general renovation work in entstand mit geringem baulichen Aufwand. several stages, making provisions for the Mit rot gestrichener Brettschalung verklei- adaptation of the existing substance for det und lichtdurchlässiger Folie gedeckt, new functions as well as partial demolition bleibt die Holzkonstruktion durchlässig and rebuilding. und taucht den Innenraum in ein warmes The northern tract was partly taken down Licht. Die Erschließung des Klosterhofs and rebuilt, whereby few changes were mit dem Zugang zur Basilika löste Giencke made to the listed exterior, although new schließlich durch eine breite, unregelmäßig material was used. A glass staircase was geführte Betontreppe mit Rampen, Stufen added on the eastern side, providing access und Podesten. to the new gym. The multiple use of glass elements substantially changed the light situation in the school wing, creating views that opened the abbey up towards the exterior. A cable-supported glass roof was mounted above the entrance to the school. While the entrance to the gym is inside Project name Abtei Seckau (Seckau Abbey) the building, the new construction with its Architecture Volker Giencke three-sided glass façade and no visible sup- In collaboration with Alfred Bramberger, port structure projects beyond the abbey Arpad Ferdinand, Davide Ferrero, Sandra walls. Relatively little structural work was Flury, Georg Giebeler, Eeva Liisa Pelkonen, required for the new construction of the Claudius Pratsch; Alois Winkler (structure freely formed choral chamber, which is used planning); Karl-Heinz Lackner (construction for events. Encased in plywood that has management) been painted red and covered with translu- Period 1988–2000 cent foil, the wooden construction remains Status Completed open, immersing the interior in a warm light. Location/place Seckau, Styria Giencke’s solution regarding access to the Client/developer Benedictine Abbey courtyard and the entrance to the basilica Seckau, Order of Saint Benedict Seckau consisted of a wide, irregular concrete stair- Project type General renovation, case with ramps, stairs and platforms. adaptation and extension of a Romanesque monastery complex with several new buildings

Continuity and change 38 Layers The starting point of the project was a three-storey office building from the 1950s at the Montanuniversität, which was to be extended with the addition of a laboratory hall. Hafner established a clear relationship between the two buildings. The hall cov- ers a surface of 16 by 16 metres, without supports. Within it a concrete structure is situated, containing two tunnels for teach- ing and demonstration purposes. Due to the superimposition of three façade layers, an empty space is created between the old part of the building and the extension, which serves both as an entrance hall and an architectural link. In this way, the original façade is also restructured. The layers con- sist of the enveloping surfaces of building Project name Montanuniversität, structures and the enveloping surfaces of laboratory hall – extension the empty space linking them together. Author Bernhard Hafner Hafner’s colour scheme makes reference to In collaboration with Johann Zimmermann; the location, its function and its history, Otto Thaller (structure planning) which is defined by steel production. All Period 1989–1992 concrete and plaster surfaces have been Status Completed coloured using slag sands from the steel Location/place Leoben, Styria production site in Leoben-Donawitz. Whilst Client/developer Austrian republic the interiors remain white, the external Project type Laboratory hall walls are dyed a reddish brown.

Continuity and change 39 Architecture is not only there for self- an architectural competition. This created realisation* opportunities for a considerable number of young architects to win their first building In the 1990s, the Regional Councillor for contracts. The aim of the awarding author- Housing, the architect Michael Schmidt, ity ‘Model Styria’ was not only to stimulate alleged that ‘representatives of the “Graz discussions on prices per square metre, but School” were confusing residential build- also to support unconventional solutions in ings with monuments, that living quality the construction of social housing. This was was suffering as a consequence and that also a reaction to Social Democratic building building costs were rising to astronomi- projects. cal levels.’* This was an attack on a unique housing model that was singular in Austria As time passed, the pros and cons of the at that time, which had been developed in ‘Model’ were the subject of controversial the framework of ‘Modell Steiermark’ (Model debate. The accusation of artistic self-real- Styria) and was abandoned in the 1990s. isation, explosive costs and poor execution were set against the benefits of co-deter- Initiated by the Styrian Governor Josef mination, opportunities for young architects Krainer senior, the first ‘Model Styria’ was and unusual building solutions that still presented to the public for the first time in attract architecture enthusiasts from all 1972 under Governor Friedrich Niederl, as over the world. a long-term political programme. In 1980, it was continued by Governor Josef Krainer The following projects shown in the exhi- junior. One of the work groups concerned bition were implemented as part of the with architecture, economics, democracy ‘Model Styria’: Szyszkowitz + Kowalski, Alte and energy was ‘Arbeitskreis 12’, in which Poststraße Residential Complex; Günther various experts (architects, urban planners, Domenig, Neufeldweg Residential Complex; financial experts and sociologists) came Bernhard Hafner, Rettenbacher Develop- together to discuss questions of housing ment; Manfred Wolff-Plottegg, Heidenreich- construction. Under the architect Wolfdiete­r straße, Seiersberg Residential Development Dreibholz, who was running the Structural and Volker Giencke, Residential Building Planning Department of the Province of Carl-Spitzweg-Gasse. Styri­a for many years, structural, cultural und architectural aspects of the program Giencke’s project gave rise to a heated dis- were implemented. cussion in 1994, stirred up by the media. The architect was accused of running up The ‘Model Styria’ made provisions for excess building costs of over 40 %; de facto the participation of the future residents, they only exceeded the budget by 10 %. encouraging variety instead of uniformity, larger residential areas with communal facil- * Regional Councillor for Housing Architect Michael Schmidt, 1994. ities, a mix of apartments for young families and senior citizens, and a restructuring of housing subsidies. It introduced measures to promote joint ownership as opposed to building rented apartments. A prerequisite was that the projects were coupled with

Model Styria 40 Project name Wohnbebauung planned the following phases. The design of Heidenreichstraße, Seiersberg (Residential the entire development is based on second- Development) level questions— ‘How do the lines get Author Manfred Wolff-Plottegg onto the paper and how do houses get onto In collaboration with Fritz Mascher, the meadow?’. The project was developed Christoph Zechner primarily on screen, and is finally the result Period 1987–1991 of the commands of an image editor, such Status Completed as ‘insert’, ‘rotate’, ‘shift’, ‘stretch’, ‘setvar’, Location/place Heidenreichstraße 7, ‘double’, ‘cancel’, etc. In the printed image Seiersberg lines may be a floor plan or a section or a Client/developer GGW Graz non-commercial perspective view—the data is picked out housing association as buildings or roads. Consequently, Plot- Construction task/type Residential housing tegg declares a drawing with a large num- ber of lines and grids to be a ‘template for Template for everything everything’. A series of many (self-similar) The development lies to the south of the working models shows several variations of Graz city boundary, in the municipality of the residential development. On the north Seiersberg. In 1987/88, Plottegg had won side of the exterior, the sheet metal clad- a competition to build 160 apartments ding is green (the colour of the 100 schil- in multi-storey buildings and 65 terraced ling note at the time). On the south side, houses. The first construction phase, com- walk-through balconies—extended ‘living prising 24 apartments, was planned by rooms’—have been added. To ensure an Plottegg, whilst—counterproductive to the excellent quality of life, every residential original concept—other responsible parties unit has its own entrance door.

Model Styria 41 Project name Wohnanlage Neufeldweg to their inner spatial organisation. On the (Residential Complex) basis of (invisible) geometrical networks, Author Günther Domenig Domenig developed a variable system using In collaboration with Manfred Partl, Franz various components as well as constructive Jammernegg, Edeltraud Herz and technical elements. The basic units of Period 1984–1988 the ensemble are made up of the so-called Status Completed ‘youth towers’ (generational towers), flexible Location/place Graz-St. Peter zones that can be separated. On both sides, Client/developer Interest group of the these are adjoined by the zones that form prospective residents, ÖWGes, Graz the core area of the apartments, with tech- Construction task/type Residential building nical facility zones in between. The houses are accessed via roofed outside staircases. The dividing, growing and shrinking These are arranged in the area of the central residential estate axis of each basic unit. The ground-floor With the Neufeldweg residential project, zones are also used as parking spaces. The Domenig aimed to meet the needs of the external cladding of the residential complex various life phases and plans of its inha- consists of aluminium sheeting along with bitants. The apartments can be changed, plywood and plasterwork attached to brick divided or extended as required, both hori- walls. The colour of the plasterwork, initially zontally and vertically, but also with regard blue-grey, is now white.

Model Styria 42 Project name Rettenbachersiedlung development itself is designed as a traffic- (Rettenbacher Development) free zone. The building is accessed via six Author Bernhard Hafner staircases integrated into the buildings In collaboration with in the form of open, roofed entranceways, Period 1986–1988 continuing on from the footpath. Economic Status Completed to build and yet spacious inside—the expec- Location/place Graz-Mariatrost tations of the residents were taken into Client/developer Interest group of the account. They were able to choose between prospective residents, ÖWGes, Graz various layouts—maisonettes, split-level Projekttypus Social housing and multi-storey apartments, all equipped with winter gardens or balconies set into Living satisfaction the building. The Rettenbacher Development is situated Hafner did not use any mass-produced in Graz Mariatrost. It was a model construc- components for the construction. It is a tion realised as part of the ‘Model Styria’, compact structure with exposed brickwork tendered by the interest group of the pro- inside. The exterior brickwork and the spective residents and managed by the barrel-shaped roof are partially cladded ÖWG - Gemeinnützige Wohnbaugesellschaft with metal sheeting. The involvement of the mbH. The housing development consists of apartments’ future residents in the plan- two elongated rows of three-storey build- ning process proved challenging—some of ings. They are arranged to form an inner the apartments had to be redesigned up courtyard that opens up to the southeast to three times. However, it also proved to through the space between the first two be an advantage—a study initiated by the buildings. The original plan to erect a con- TU Graz in 2000 indicated that, today, the necting building at the point of access was occupants of the Rettenbacher Develop- not realised. The courtyard is one level ment are more satisfied with their living higher than Rettenbacherstraße, and park- conditions than those of any other multi- ing spaces are situated at street level. The storey development in Graz.

Model Styria 43 The price is not a question of quality* In 1987, under the banner of ‘cost-effective building’, Volker Giencke was one of seven architects invited to participate in the com- petition for the residential complex at Carl- Spitzweg-Gasse, and was finally commis- sioned with the planning. Following initial disagreements between the architect and the housing cooperative assigned to imple- ment the project, the future inhabitants of the apartments founded an interest group. This group finally oversaw the construction project itself, and continues to manage the development today on a non-commercial basis. Due to the delays, work on the pro- ject did not begin until 1992. Although the initial cost estimate was exceeded, the final expenditure was still below comparable building costs per m2 for other residential buildings in Graz at the beginning of the 1990s. The 49 apartments that make up the com- plex are arranged along two four-storey building blocks of different lengths, joined together to form a V-shape. The supporting structure is a simple concrete slab construc- tion of a shallow depth, so that every single room in the building (including the under- ground garage) has natural daylight from both the north and the south. The build- ing’s formal complexity is achieved through details—façades made of ship plywood and Project name Wohnbau Carl-Spitzweg- enamelled glass, jutting terraces, outside Gasse (Residential building) staircases, pent roofs and last but not least, Architecture Volker Giencke communal open spaces such as a roof gar- In collaboration with Günes Aytar, Alfred den accessed via two winding staircases. Bramberger, Robert Clerici, Gernot Meisl, The layouts of the apartments themselves Gino Kratzer, Rudolf Schober; Alois Winkler are structured in both a schematic and flex- (structure planning) ible way. Cost-effective prefabricated com- Period 1987–1994 ponents provided economical solutions, yet Status Completed there was still scope for individual ideas. Location/place Graz-St. Peter * Client/developer MEG Carl-Spitzweg-Gasse Kleine Zeitung, 1994. —collective ownership Project type Residential building

Model Styria 44 Energy from the sun is independent of all tion) and reservoirs that collect rain water the oil sheiks and coal mines in the world. and allow it to seep away slowly. The soil It shines on both the beggar and the removed from the former industrial site millionaire* was used to build a chain of grassed hills. In contrast to Frey, who thinks in terms of Starting in the 1960s, Konrad Frey carried ecological processes, economy, construction out studies on cycles of energy and pro- and function rather than form, this—along duction and the use of alternative energy with colour—is the dominant factor that sources in architecture. In 1967, in col- provides emotional charge and identifica- laboration with Florian Beigel, Frey won tion in the work of Szyszkowitz + Kowalski. 1st prize in a competition for a community centre to revive the area surrounding the * Samstag, Neues aus der Steiermark, „Er baut Österreichs erstes Sonnenhaus“, 18.05.1974. raised city motorway in Kensington, with a suggestion to build the centre beneath the motorway route. This and other projects concerned with the use of wasteland in London were early examples of an interest in energy systems and the cycle of oxygen and carbon dioxide. With an ecological approach, a closed system consisting of a greenhouse and spaces used by people was developed. Organic waste from a restaurant was used as a fertiliser for allotments under glass and the solar energy from the allot- ments was used to power a multi-purpose hall with a tented casing. Following on from these experiments, Frey and Beigel (Fischer House) and then Frey alone (Solar Shower for Alpine Dwellers, Zankel House, Low Budget Loft House) developed further projects.

A series of ecological considerations are also found in the work of Szyszkowitz + Kowalski. Their project Zusertal House faces towards the sun, making use of passive solar energy. The sun penetrates to the depths of the house through a glass roof, whilst planting frames on the house and greenery around it form a kind of mantle of vegetation. In the housing complex built for the IBA Emscher Park, on the former Küp- persbusch site in Gelsenkirchen, the focus is on green spaces, the use of active solar Konrad Frey, Westway Complex Stadtrehabilitation energy, passive sun energy (sun orienta- London, 1973

Ecology 45 Project name Cowicle area is fed into the livestock area, the milk Author Konrad Frey comes onto the market, the manure goes In collaboration with into crop production and returns to the Period 1967 cycle as animal feed—complemented his Status Not realised idea of a ‘mobile suit’ for the cow, with envi- Location/place ronmental control equipment. This project Client/developer follows on directly from Frey’s ideas on the Project type Mobile architecture ‘dissolution of the house’ from the year 1966. Space is no longer defined by pre-set The mobile suit for cows walls, ceilings and floors, but by ‘appliances In 1967, Konrad Frey carried out investiga- in position’ creating a ‘controlled space’, but tions into agricultural construction and ‘only where it is needed.’* agricultural technology—reaching the The inspiration for Cowicle was the Cushicle conclusion that, taking advantage of new by Michael Webb, a member of Archigram. technological developments, buildings could This was a speculative design proposal for be ‘almost completely dispensed with’. In an individual, portable housing unit for peo- the dairy industry, for example, maximum ple who lead a nomadic life—clothing that results could be achieved with a minimum can function as a house or architecture. of personnel expenditure. Studies on the energy and production * Konrad Frey, Cowicle, wood plate with a collage of material, archive of the TU Graz. cycle—animal feed from the operational

Ecology 46 Project name Haus Fischer (Fischer House) glassed surfaces of the outer shell func- Author Konrad Frey tion like frames, opening up views of the In collaboration with Florian Beigel; landscape. The complex energy concept, consultation and support: Institute for developed for research purposes, features Environmental Research Graz, Federal structural measures such as optimised ther- Ministry of Science and Research mal insulation, storage mass in the floors Period 1972–1978 and south wall, and large glass surfaces in Status Completed the south and east facades as solar energy Location/place Grundlsee, Styria receptors. Technical installation-related Client/developer Jutta and Wolfgang measures are also utilised—there are water Fischer collectors on the roof in combination with Project type Holiday home a 500-litre storage tank for service water and flooring in the rooms without sunlight, A Japanese teahouse in the and an auxiliary heating system consist- Salzkammergut* ing of single wood furnaces and electric The holiday home designed by Konrad Frey heating mats in the floors. All elements of and Florian Beigel for the Fischer family the object are geared towards functional at Grundlsee, Ausseerland in the Styrian aspects and the idea of a solar house. The Salzkammergut was the first solar house in house and the original energy concept Austria. Wolfgang and Jutta Fischer did not changed in the course of the years. But this envision a holiday home in the traditional is also a part of Frey’s understanding of style. ‘The brief we gave to the architects architecture in use—buildings are adapted was to build not a lederhosen house, but and transformed by their users. a Japanese teahouse’.** Frey and Beigel make reference to features of the landscape * Shortened form of the text developed as part of a research project funded by the FWF at the TU Graz, entitled ‘Die in the house, and vice versa. The house is Solarhäuser von Konrad Frey - Umweltforschung und solares nestled into the hillside, with the rooms Wissen im Entwurf’ (Konrad Frey’s solar houses – environmen- tal research and solar knowledge in the draft) structured accordingly. It is built using (www.konradfrey.tugraz.at). wood, a typical building material for the ** Wolfgang Fischer in an interview with Sophia Walk, architecture of the Ausseerland region. The Grundlsee, 31.08.2016

Ecology 47 Project name Wohnbebauung housing complex incorporates more than Küppersbusch IBA Emscher Park (Housing 200 apartments, including a building with Development) apartments for senior citizens and a kinder- Author Szyszkowitz + Kowalski garten. It is built on industrial wasteland. In collaboration with Gerald Wratschko, The contaminated soil from the former Werner Wratschko, Kurt Fandler, Zeljka industrial site was used to create a chain Hajsok-Momic, Christian Heim, Michael of hills that protects the housing complex Lyssy, Elke Schmitter, Rolf Seifert, Alois that serves as a park-like recreation area. Senfter, Robert Kropf (CAD), Manfred However, the distinguishing feature of the Suanjak (CAD); Johann Birner, Wilhelm complex is situated at its centre—a len- Düffel, Egon Herms (structure planning) ticular sunken green space, surrounded by Period 1989–1997 an elevated furrow that defines its shape. Status Completed It absorbs the rainwater of the entire com- Location/place Küppersbuschstraße, plex, allowing it to seep away within a few Gelsenkirchen (DE) days. The complex is designed in a way Client/developer The city of Gelsenkirchen that provides several different levels of and various property developers intensity with regard to public or private Project type Residential complex with life. The squares surrounding the centre are kindergarten staggered with three staircases leading to the green space, joined together by means A city-IMAGE of a pathway. As far as the living units are The construction of the residential com- concerned, an access hinge provides a large plex took place as part of the International range of variety in the size and the posi- Building Exhibition Emscher Park. This exhi- tion of the individual units in relation to bition addressed programmatic positions one another. Active and passive use of solar on social life and the city, especially with energy is also an integral feature of the regard to the environment and landscape complex, making it both economically and in the heavily industrialised Ruhr area. The ecologically effective.

Ecology 48 Only poverty has a future Eilfried Huth was a member of the Forum Stadtpark, in the ‘current events’ division. In 1977, the Forum organised the exhibi- Project name Nur Armut hat Zukunft – tion Konfrontationen 77 at the invitation Konfrontationen 77 (Only poverty has a of the Austrian Ministry of Finance, held future – Confrontations 77) in Prince Eugen’s Winter Palace in Vienna. Author Eilfried Huth Huth’s contribution, with the provocative In collaboration with Forum Stadtpark title Nur Armut hat Zukunft (Only Poverty Period 1977 has a Future) was a plea for an efficient Status Completed handling of resources and a conscious Location/place Vienna, Ministry of Finance reduction of waste in order to safeguard a Client Forum Stadtpark Graz, current liveable future—a principle that was always events division a very important aspect of his work as an Project type Art exhibition architect.

Ecology 49 Only poverty has a future* are limited in terms of opulence and avail- ability’. He pleaded for the ‘definition of The report published by the Club of Rome an active poverty, a poverty with an enti- 1972 on The Limits to Growth, along with tlement to aesthetic quality, knowledge the oil crises that followed in 1973 and through sensual perception’. 1979, triggered a rethinking process with regard to the worldwide use of resources. ‘Inexpensive building’ was also one of the Improved energy efficiency, a reduction in basic demands of residential building within consumerism, sustainable development, the framework of ‘Model Styria’. Volker thinking in terms of energy cycles, the Giencke (Carl-Spitzweg-Gasse Residential protection of ecosystems and ‘qualitative Building, 1984–1997), Bernhard Hafner growth’ were to help create an ecological (Rettenbacher Development, 1986–88), and economic balance. Wolff-Plottegg (Heidenreichstraße, Seiers- berg Development, 1987–88) and others, Since the 1960s, the economical use of like Eilfried Huth attempted to combine materials and energy has been a consist- economy, building and living quality and ent concern in the work of Konrad Frey. the individual ideas and demands of the The appearance of the buildings arises residents by relying on well thought out from their actual function as well as from planning, a simple language of materials, constructive, economic and ecological con- economic use of resources, and standard- siderations. In Cardboard House (1973), ized elements. The costs were not to be cut Konrad Frey and Florian Beigel were search- at any cost, rather the goal was to achieve ing for an inexpensive building material. an ‘increase’ in quality of life. This collided This interest is also reflected in Frey’s Low occasionally with the rigid award conditions Budget Loft House (2013), which makes use of ‘Model Styria’. of standard elements from the DIY store. Similar considerations—creating maximum * Title of a contribution by Eilfried Huth for the exhibition Konfrontationen 77 in the Winter Palace of Prinz Eugen in living quality, reducing costs through intel- Vienna. ligent planning and building with standard elements—are also found in the work of Eilfried Huth. Huth involves the residents in the actual construction process, in order to keep building costs as low as possible. His economic interest begins before con- struction work commences—the future owners came together to form an interest group, with an elected building commit- tee for the purposes of self-administration (Eschen Development Deutschlandsberg, 1972–1992; Gerlitzgründe Housing Model, 1976–1984)—residents were even involved in decisions related to financial resources. Huth’s contribution Only poverty has a future for the exhibition Konfrontationen 77 clearly showed that ‘space and energy

Economy 50 Project name Gewächshäuser Botanischer An additional prismatic glass structure with Garten der Universität Graz (Greenhouses, a sloping roof is designated for research and Botanical Garden at the University Graz) cultivation. Architecture Volker Giencke The tilt of the greenhouses is designed In collaboration with Heribert Altenbacher, according to the sizes of the plants—that is Nives Anicic, Alfred Bramberger, Davide to say, formal decisions are based on func- Ferrero, Susi Fritzer, Herwig Kleinhapl, tion as well as on aesthetics. For reasons of Ulrike Märzendorfer, Helene Le Merdy, construction economics, the same arch ele- Eeva Pelkonen, Robert Vucic; Ove Arup & ment is used for all three houses—with the Partners, Graber – Szyszkowitz (structure exception of a fragment along the street. planning) The glass structures are connected to one Period 1982–1995 another via walkways and bridges. The light Status Completed aluminium support structure, designed to Location/place Schubertstraße, Graz allow maximum natural light to enter the Client/developer Austrian Republic greenhouses, is equipped with pipes for Project type Research building hot water heating. A nozzle system pro- duces microscopically fine mist for lowering If anyone claims that ‘extra-terrestrial’ the temperature. Ventilation is controlled architecture did not exist in Graz before through valves in the base area or glass the Kunsthaus, then they haven’t yet seen elements that can be opened in the crown Volker Giencke’s greenhouses* area of the greenhouses. The architectural The complex consists of three parabolically aesthetic is largely determined by the use arched glass roofs, offset at angles to each of curved double-shell elements made of other and visually penetrating one another. acrylic glass, inserted into the framework of They accommodate the tropical, cold and the supporting structure. moderate-temperature houses of the Botanical Garden of the University of Graz. * www.freizeitinfo.at, 04.09.2017.

Economy 51 Project name Wellpappehaus (Cardboard House) Author Konrad Frey In collaboration with Florian Beigel – BPR Building Planning & Resources Period 1973 Status Not realised Location/place Client/developer Hamburger GmbH, Pitten Project type Detached house

Alpine paper architecture* In 1973, on behalf of the paper manufac- turer Hamburger in Pitten, Konrad Frey and Florian Beigel took on the task of searching for possible new ways of using corrugated cardboard, an extremely intelligent material with an astonishingly high load capacity. It is actually possible to build houses, even in snowy regions, by forming corrugated cardboard sheets into supporting build- ing components, in keeping with their own operating principle, and reinforcing them with standard roof battens. Larger buildings can be assembled from 60 m2 spatial units with gabled roofs running lengthwise and crosswise. The cardboard construction must be sealed with a weatherproof surface. This means that the outer appearance can be selected according to individual taste. The project was carried through to produc- tion maturity, but finally failed due to high production costs and the fact that, under humid conditions, the corrugated cardboard can become permanently warped and lose its stability.

* Shortened form of the text developed as part of a research project funded by the FWF at the TU Graz, entitled ‘Die Solarhäuser von Konrad Frey - Umweltforschung und solares Wissen im Entwurf’ (Konrad Frey’s solar houses – environmen- tal research and solar knowledge in the draft) (www.konradfrey.tugraz.at).

Economy 52 Project name Low Budget Loft Haus a loft atmosphere. In other words—despite Author Konrad Frey the low costs, it should invoke a certain In collaboration with feeling of spaciousness. Under a gable roof, Period from 2005 which Frey still considers to be one of the Status Completed most economic but spacious solutions for Location/place Hart near Graz bridging a higher span width, the house Client/developer can be used in a large number of different Project type Energy-saving house, pre- ways. Set at various heights, there are a fabricated house (prototype) communal living area and kitchen, working areas and quiet rooms for the inhabitants A prototype: the individual DIY store and their guests. The rooms in the form house of boxes, with adequate acoustic insula- In 2013, Konrad Frey began work on a new tion, provide a high degree of privacy—an project—a prototype for a kind of ‘house extremely important aspect of living qual- for everybody’ that could be ordered from ity and spending time together. They have a catalogue. The object, which he is cur- direct access to outdoor areas, and may be rently testing with his wife, is built entirely used by guests without disturbing other using standard elements from the DIY store. members of the household. The interior and Considering the fact that, even though high- exterior are interlinked by means of views quality building materials can be purchased and openings. The house, well thought- cheaply, it is becoming more and more out in terms of use and function, is also expensive to build, a prototype was to be economical and energy-efficient. ‘Apps’ are developed that could later be reproduced available for the basic 120 m2 type, addi- for others in the form of a prefabricated tions that can be used to expand on the house. Frey asked the following question: basic model. So far, additions such as a ‘Is it possible to construct a house that is recess for a porch, a canopy and extra rooms inspiring and vibrant using simple, even such as storerooms, garage or a winter gar- banal elements?’* In this respect, the name den have been realised. of the house is programmatic—Low Budget Loft House is tantamount to low costs with * Interview by Barbara Steiner with Konrad Frey, 29.04.2017.

Economy 53 Interior with zip* Sundome was designed by Konrad Frey and his associate Florian Beigel at the office BPR Building Planning & Resources in col- laboration with the structural engineer Anthony Hunt Associates. The aim was to build inexpensive housing from a thin construction made of transparent shell ele- ments, three-dimensionally formed. This system was not only to be space-enclosing, but also self-supporting and freely expand- able. Frey, Beigel and Hunt developed a series of constructively geometric forms, which finally led to a system of hall con- structions made of spherical, double-curved shell elements. Uniform stress distribution and minimal bending procedures, as well as low costs for materials and manufacturing, were essential factors in the form-finding process. The individual parts are joined together with snap locks for the transmission of tensile forces, and with massive neoprene rubber profiles that function like a zip. In order to make openings in the covering, some of the shell elements act as frames to accommo- date access or ventilation elements. Hand- made collages demonstrate several ways in which the system can be used for temporary or permanent halls. The lettering ‘Path­ finders in Urethanes’ refers to the chemicals corporation Bader, which sponsored the project with a view to launching the light- weight construction on the market. Project name Sundome – Schalentragwerk * Shortened form of the text developed as part of a research für Hallen (shell structures for halls) project funded by the FWF at the TU Graz, entitled ‘Die Author Konrad Frey Solarhäuser von Konrad Frey - Umweltforschung und solares In collaboration with Florian Beigel – BPR Wissen im Entwurf’ (Konrad Frey’s solar houses – environmen- tal research and solar knowledge in the draft) Building Planning & Resources, Anthony (www.konradfrey.tugraz.at). Hunt Associates (static) Period 1970–1971 Status Not realised Location/place Client/developer Project type Glass house

Economy 54 Project name Schulschwestern, the static calculations presented by the Mehrzwecksaal (School sisters, multi- Thaler office. Due to budget restrictions, purpose hall) the architects searched for cost-effective Authors Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth solutions for the construction. By means of In collaboration with Heribert Altenbacher, an injection moulding technique, used here Volker Giencke for the first time in Austria, concrete was Period 1972–1977 sprayed directly onto a steel mesh grid. This Status Completed was finished off with a layer of heat plaster Location/place Graz-Eggenberg and a fine layer of PVC, which adapted to Client/developer School sisters of Graz the curves of the roofing. The organic form Construction task/type Multi-purpose hall, of the building structure provides a strong refectory contrast to the orthogonally arranged con- vent complex. Then let us make a peak! In 1980, when the thermal plaster began to In the course of the renovation of the peel off, the white shell was cladded with School Sisters convent in Graz-Eggenberg, zinc sheeting. Up to the present day, the a multi-purpose hall was to be erected hall has not been converted—it remains in in the courtyard—a refectory, events and its original state, complete with the furni- assembly hall all in one. Based on static ture designed by Alvar Aalto. It was planned considerations, a support structure with by Volker Giencke who, working for Domenig ventilation and heating was developed, and Huth’s office at the time, was entrusted which defined the outward appearance. In with the local site management. other words, the form was found on the basis of the existing situation. ‘Then let us * Interview by Barbara Steiner with Eilfried Huth, 21.03.2017. make a peak’* resulted from the first on- site inspection with Günther Domenig and

Economy 55

Becoming involved, taking an active part, for the implementation phase is a theme participating, with self-determination and that is found in the work of both Elfried joint decision-making* Huth and Günther Domenig. In the project Sparkasse Deutschlandsberg, Huth involved The Eschen Development by Eilfried Huth the craftsmen in finding constructive/logical formed the basis of a housing research and cost-effective ways of extending the assignment entitled ‘Participation, co-deter- building of the Sparkasse, on the basis of mination in residential building’, organised their practical experience. It is a meeting on by the Federal Ministry of Housing and equal terms, combining different levels of Technology. Its objective was ‘to create bet- expertise—that of the craftsman and that ter apartments with a better functionality of the architect—in a reciprocal process. for the immediate surroundings with the With Zentralsparkasse Favoriten (1974– same financial resources as other resi- 1979), Domenig saw himself as ‘a formulator dential building developers have at their and a specialist for form and artistic expres- disposal.’ Participation was seen as the key, sion’ and the craftsman as ‘a specialist for understood by Huth as a collective term to implementation.’** Huth, however, allowed describe how the future users were to profit the construction workers also to make for- by ‘becoming involved, taking an active mal decisions arising from the production part, participating, with self-determination process. and joint decision-making.’ By means of semi-standardised interviews, discussions, * Eilfried Huth, Doris Pollet, Beteiligung, Mitbestimmung im Wohnbau (Participation, Co-determination in residential working on the model and drawings, a closer building, residential model Deutschlandsberg Eschensied- relationship was established between the lung, work report 1972–76. architect, the interest group and ‘home ** Günther Domenig, Der Architekt des Hauses, 1989 builders’. The architect took on the role of . consultant, organiser, coordinator, moti- vator and partner in questions of design, whilst keeping his personal signature in the background.

In Szyszkowitz’ + Kowalski‘s Alte Poststraße Residential Complex, the wishes of the future residents are translated into a single style. The architects’ model of co-determi- nation strove to achieve a balance between all kinds of different individual living ideas by means of an overall architectural lan- guage. The whole complex was taken onto a superordinate level, overriding individual wishes and desires and unifying them. Here, the architects take on the role of moderator, translator and transformer.

The participation of the building workers in production processes and decision-making

Participation 56 On the one hand, the ‘Deutschlandsberg residential model’ was to be different from the kind of housing developments that were usual at the time. On the other hand, the aim was to achieve acceptance for high-density housing amongst low-income groups and house builders. For many peo- ple, the dream of owning their own home on affordable terms came true through their own participation, neighbourhood assis- tance and not least thanks to the support of the mayor Klauser. The future owners, who came together to form an interest group, were involved in the planning and realisation process from the very beginning, under the supervision of Eilfried Huth and his team. The combined expertise of the architects/the group of architects and the users was to be pooled. The Deutschlands­ berg estate was developed in a total of six building phases. Each was organised Project name Eschensiedlung via a construction committee and a chair- Deutschlandsberg (Eschen Development) man, who were also responsible for making Author Eilfried Huth financial decisions. Following the first three In collaboration with Heribert Altenbacher, phases, an association was founded. It took Iradj Hashemizadeh, Heinz Lang, Peter on responsibility for the management of the Szammer, Doris Pollet communal spaces and the subsequent use Period 1972–1992 of the so-called ‘builders’ hut’, which in prin- Status Completed ciple served as a communication centre and Location/place Deutschlandsberg meeting place for the residents. Client/developer Resident’s interest group The architect’s creative fingerprint took sec- Project type Estate of terraced houses, ond place to the personal needs of the resi- co-determination and participation (100 dents and economic necessities, and speci- detached houses with 104 to fications were limited to a small number of 150 m² usable area) binding, constructive commitments. Thus the details of the houses vary, but neverthe- Codetermination and participation less they form an overall development that When work began on the Eschen Develop- makes a stand against fixed schemes in the ment, the partnership between Huth and house-building industry. Domenig came to an end. From now on, the The Eschen Development formed the basis two architects were to follow different archi- of a housing research assignment entitled tectural paths. In 1972, an ‘experimentation ‘Participation, co-determination in residen- phase’ began for Eilfried Huth—it was to last tial construction’, organised by the Federal around 20 years, during which time he com- Ministry of Housing and Technology. pleted 13 participatory housing projects.

Participation 57 Julia Gaisbacher Gaisbacher shows her photographs in the form of slides, accompanied by documenta- My dream house is not a house* tion and archive material and the working model that was used more than 40 years In her works, the photographer and artist ago. In this way, she follows on from a Julia Gaisbacher explores the field of ten- presentation method that was also used by sion between social conventions in public Huth. space, architecture, and individual repre- sentation. She often crosses the boundaries Nevertheless, the perspective from which of photography, making use of intermedia the artist views the Eschen development is strategies in her art. a contemporary one. What remains of the ideas on citizen participation that arose in For her contribution to the exhibition Graz the late 1960s? To what extent did active Architecture, Julia Gaisbacher turned her participation in planning and construction attention to Eilfried Huth’s Eschen Devel- make a difference to the appearance of the opment in Deutschlandsberg. It was this houses? residential housing project that made the architect a pioneer of participatory projects Whatever answers one chooses to give to in social housing at the beginning of the these questions, they all lead to a notion 1970s. that is evoked in Gaisbacher’s artwork— joint design is possible. Following intensive research and interviews with Huth, Doris Pollet-Kammerlander (who * Eilfried Huth, 2017 accompanied the project as a sociologist) and former or current residents of the hous- ing complex, Julia Gaisbacher completed a series of photographs of its inside and out- side spaces. Born in 1983 in Grambach near Graz (AT), Huth carried out his idea of overriding the lives in Vienna (AT) hierarchical relationship between the archi- tect and the residents by carrying out plan- Exhibitions and projects (selected): ning interviews and exercises on spatial per- Who are you? Two centuries of portraits, ception. For these exercises he constructed, Neue Galerie Graz, Graz (2017); Vis á Vis, among others, a simple plug-in model. In Bautzner 69, Dresden (2016); Die Kunst this way, the architect attempted to provide der Frau – Freundinnen und Komplizin- the future users with a similar knowledge of nen, Vereinigung Bildender Künstlerinnen house construction, enabling them to play Österreichs (2016); Hast du von Bergen an active role in the joint planning of the geträumt?, Tschechisches Zentrum, Prague housing development. Huth’s idea of beauty and Berlin (2014); Zi 121−136, Fotogalerie was closely linked with personal involve- Rathaus Graz (solo, 2014); Schools of Art, ment and identification with objects. This Holden Gallery, Manchester (2013); Die can be transferred to the residents and their Kommunikative Situation des Hin und Her home. mit einem Flugobjekt, Westwerk, Hamburg (2011).

58 Eilfried Huth with a resident of the Eschen Development in a meeting to discuss planning, 1974

Eilfried Huth in conversation wirh Julia Gaisbacher, 2017 young families, the so-called ‘point cases’, where the level of an applicant’s need was assessed by means of a points system. Following the selection and counselling of suitable young families, an interest group was founded and a construction committee elected for the purposes of self-adminis- tration. Huth’s work began well before the usual construction planning phase—he first took the time to familiarise himself with the sociopolitical conditions surrounding build- ing projects. In the case of the Gerlitzgründe Housing Model, he encouraged the founda- tion of an ÖVP- and SPÖ-linked cooperative in order to provide the project with a solid Project name Wohnmodell Gerlitzgründe, political base. The spatial organisation of Wohnbau Graz-Puntigam (Housing Model, the residential units was determined in indi- Residential Building) vidual discussions. Decisions regarding com- Author Eilfried Huth munal matters were resolved in a complex In collaboration with Irmfried Windbichler; process of group dynamics involving weekly Günther Karasek, Werner Hochapfel meetings, at which neighbourhood concerns (representatives of the residents’ and appeals were also discussed. The future association) inhabitants worked on the development Period 1976–1984 themselves, based on the economic premise Status Completed that building oneself is cheaper than using Location/place Am Leopoldsgrund, prefabricated elements. Decisions regard- Gradnerstraße, Graz-Puntigam ing the colour scheme of the houses were Client/developer Residents’ interest group, also made on an individual basis. The group represented by GWS and Neue Heimat on of architects moved from house to house behalf of the city of Graz with their easel and designs, allowing the Project type Reihenhaussiedlung residents to choose directly from a commer- (66 Einfamilien-Reihenhäuser) cially available range of colours. The high level of identification, the sense of commu- Codetermination and participation II nality and housing satisfaction underlying Not long after work began on the Eschen this long-standing process is demonstrated Development in Deutschlandsberg, the con- not least by the warmth the residents show cept of codetermination and participation towards the architect, even today. fell on fertile soil in the city of Graz, initi- Following on from the participation pro- ated by the city councillors Erich Edegger jects, the ‘Thal group construction project’ and Heinz Pammer. The Gerlitzgründe Hous- was initiated. In this case, people who were ing Model was an attempt to give future interested in building came together to form owners a greater say in the construction a group. They went out in search of building process. This concept was opposed to that plots and an architect, and implemented the of producing minimum standard housing project together, under the guidance of the for socially and financially underprivileged architect.

Participation 60 Project name Wohnanlage Alte Poststraße set transition zones between public urban (Residential Complex) life, the semi-public sphere of interchange Authors Szyszkowitz + Kowalski with neighbours, and the private sphere. In collaboration with Werner Wratschko, Convinced of the need for an interactive Ernst Gieselbrecht, Manfred Partl, relationship both amongst the residents Florian Riegler, Adolf Schmölzer, Gerhard themselves and its outside environment, Schweizer (colour consultant); Roland the architects created not only spatial Baumkirchner (structure planning) connections within the complex of build- Period 1981–1984 ings, but also links with the outside world. Status Completed Staircases, access paths, the courtyard Location/place Alte Poststraße/ and communal rooms play an important Dreierschützengasse, Graz-Eggenberg role, and special attention was paid to their Client/developer ‘Model Styria’, design. As far as the architecture itself was Rottenmanner residential cooperative, 43 concerned, a lively interaction between all prospective residents participants was encouraged. Project type Residential development Furthermore, the individual wishes of the (43 apartments, 1 tobacconist’s, 1 residents were taken into consideration, underground car park) with the aim of creating a balance between individual and social concerns. In a long The ‘small world of’ living spaces and the preliminary planning process, the architects ‘large world’ of the city assembled the wishes of the future resi- This complex, consisting of 43 living units, dents and translated them into one unifying was the first residential building complex architectural language, giving the ensemble carried out by Szyszkowitz + Kowalski on an expression of a communal yet individual the basis of the participation model. nature. The first aim of their design was to create

Participation 61 Oliver Hangl ment. In recordings of discussions between present and former residents, some of which The concept and media artist Oliver Hangl have been newly produced, he draws an operates in performative disciplines and acoustic portrait for the exhibition, high- medial spaces as well as in classical exhibi- lighting the developments of this spatial/ tion spaces for the visual arts. His works social vision and the residents’ changing feature a consistent analysis of the human needs. He combines this with a ‘conversa- being in relation to space. When Hangl tion model’ of Alte Poststraße. (inter)acts in real and fictional spaces, his focus is on the playful, partly procedural Thanks to: exploration of perception mechanisms, for which he generally stages (semi-)public settings.

Oliver Hangl’s contribution to the exhibition Graz Architektur is based on Showtime, an artwork produced in the year 2010 at the invitation of the Institute for Art in Public Space Styria, for the project Schönes Woh- nen. It was concerned with the participa- tory housing project Alte Poststraße by Szyszkowitz­ + Kowalski. Hangl’s main inter- est here was to investigate the architectural aims of creating a situation to promote strong links between the private and the public sphere through active participation in community life. On an autumn afternoon, Born in 1968 in Grieskirchen (AT), the artist invited all previous and current lives in Vienna (AT) residents of the development to a celebra- tion, creating a stage for discussions on all Exhibitions and projects (selected): kinds of aspects of past, present and future On Dizziness, Centre for Contemporary life in the housing complex. A large number Art/Ujazdowski Castle, Warszawa (2017); of microphones were installed to record the URBAN ERASMUS TRAIL, Museum of His- discussions and communal singing perfor- tory, Basel (solo, 2016); Zürich Guerillawalk mances (initiated by Hangl). The celebration I+II, Haus Konstruktiv, Zurich (performance, was transmitted live by radio from the out- solo, 2016); Vienna Biennale, Angewandte skirts of Graz directly to the tourist centre Innovation Lab, Vienna (2015); Departure of the city, the square in front of the Graz Austria, Cultural Capital Pilsen (2015); Kino clock tower. im Kopf spezial: Die unglaubliche Entfüh- rung der Frau Elfriede Ott, KiÖR—Art in Seven years after this project, and more Public Space Styria, Graz (solo, 2014); Cito- than 30 years after the first residents pia Now, urb4nize-Festival, Wien (2013); moved in to the housing complex, Oliver Kino im Kopf spezial: Der Knochenmann, Hangl now functions once again as a cata- REGIONALE XII, Murau (2012); twotiming, lyst for communication within the develop- museumORTH/publicart NÖ (solo, 2012).

62 ‘Conversation model Alte Poststraße’, made live by the residents during Showtime, 2010 Codetermination in a multi-storey building BIG stands for ‘Beteiligung im Geschossbau’ (participation in a multi-storey building). The concept consists of a flexible primary struc- ture in the planning phase. Each storey has three possible angular layouts, each with two fixed installation points and a shared entranceway in a north-facing position. Two apartment sizes of between 45 and 105 m2 were available and, in special cases, Project name Wohnanlage BIG (Residential a two-storey layout with a total floor space Complex) of 150 m2. The size of the apartments Author Eilfried Huth decreased towards the higher levels. In In collaboration with Heribert Altenbacher, theory, a minimum or maximum volume Armin Royer was possible. The actual volume was deter- Period 1977–1982 mined on the basis of demand and the Status Completed housing provisions of the municipality of Location/place Deutschlandsberg Deutschlandsberg. Client/developer Municipality In the second construction phase, resi- Deutschlandsberg dents were involved not only in the choice Project type Multi-storey building, of ground plans, but also the colour of the codetermination and participation exterior façade of their living unit.

Participation 64 Construction workers’ participation During the refurbishment of the Sparkasse in Deutschlandsberg, Eilfried Huth used the method of participation for both the design and implementation, too. In this case, the construction workers also participated in the process. The task was basically con- cerned with the extension of the ground floor by moving the entrance area and stair- Project name Sparkasse Deutschlandsberg case to the exterior. Particular emphasis—in (Savings Bank) both a constructive and a formal sense— Author Eilfried Huth was given to the staircase, which was situ- In collaboration with Heribert Altenbacher ated towards the courtyard. In collaboration Period 1978–1979 with the construction workers, the archi- Status Completed (porch removed in 1995) tects found an economical way of producing Location/place Deutschlandsberg the complicated reinforced concrete. In this Client/developer Sparkasse example, the participation and codetermina- Project type Refurbishment with porch and tion of the involved parties is extended to staircase include the production processes.

Participation 65 Interpretable, adaptable and extendable opments and changing ideas. Like Huth’s and Domenig’s residential complex Zellflex Structuralism is a movement and a method and the megastructure Ragnitz City, two that was developed and used in the 20th dimensions meet—a social one, because century in various places and at various various users can contribute their own times in linguistics, anthropology, philoso- design ideas, and a temporal one, because phy, the visual arts and architecture, to ana- continual new interventions are possible, lyse structures and relational frameworks. replacing existents. Konrad Frey picks up Jacob Berend Bakema’s idea of the ‘grow- In architecture, structural settings are ing house’, which adapts to the needs of its based on a framework structure or megas- inhabitants. tructure that is designed to last, along with temporary, modifiable, essentially endlessly * Aldo van Eyck, ‘Het verhaal van een andere gedachte’, in: Forum 7/1959, Amsterdam – Hilversum. extendable plug-in units or fillings. They ** N. John Habraken, Supports: an alternative to mass are characterised on the one hand by the housing, London 1972. ‘aesthetics of numbers’, as stated by Aldo van Eyck in 1959.* Comparable with cell tissue, they represent a configurative form of architecture, like the one designed by Huth & Domenig in Floraskin. On the other hand, the term structuralism can refer to an ‘architecture of lively diversity’, as described by N. John Habraken in 1961.** With its open structures, it promotes participation, as the fillings are interpretable, adaptable and extendable—the form of the building is not clearly predetermined. Architecture is understood as a process with an open out- come, basically including several possibili- ties, and temporally open-ended.

Examples found in the exhibition include Bernhard Hafner’s Archegrams, his theoreti- cal observations on principles of spatial organisation with the aim of optimising living space and providing structure to pub- lic space, City in Space, a multi-functional network of diverse infrastructures, and Linear City, a model simulation of an urban megastructure with a flexible configuration. In Layered City, a multifunctional megas- tructure with a park, he separates long- term features—a structure with a long life cycle – from short-term elements, i.e. the contents, which follow social devel-

Structure 66 Theoretical assumptions of an architectonic/urban development Archegrams are architectural diagrams. That is to say, they use graphic means to describe ideas on how architectural constructions could be connected in space Project name Archegramme/Archegrams and arranged according to their volume, Author Bernhard Hafner taking sunlight, air, orientation and access In collaboration with into consideration. The underlying principle Period 1963 of spatial organisation is aimed towards Status Not realised the optimisation of living space and the Location/place structuring of public space. Archegrams Client/developer depict the theoretical assumptions of an Project type Theoretical observations on architectonic/urban development, on which principles of spatial organisation Hafner has been working since 1966.

Structure 67 Human activities, utility services and informationen City in Space shows a network of traffic and communication infrastructures where all utilities are summarised in a single vertical bundle. Based on the considerations devel- oped in the Archegrams, the residential units are situated in this three-dimensional Project name Raumstadt / City in Space supply network, which is infinitely expand- Author Bernhard Hafner able. Spaces with multiple uses are situated In collaboration with along a vertical axis, characterised by a Period 1966 variable outward appearance. Longitudinal Status Not realised tunnels are provided for high-speed traffic. Location/place For Hafner, urban space basically consists Client/developer of interrelated streams of movement, of Project type Multi-funktional network of human activities, utility services and infor- diverse infrastructures mation.

Structure 68 Streams of movement and infrastructure nodes In Linear City, Hafner develops his ideas of the City in Space in a different form. Again Project name Lineare Stadt / Linear City based on streams of movement (traffic net- Author Bernhard Hafner works, energy supply, both above and below In collaboration with ground), infrastructure nodes are located Period 1966 along either side of a linear urban structure Status Not realised e.g. for office blocks, residential complexes Location/place and public facilities. Residential modules Client/developer are inserted, based on the observations Project type Model simulation of an urban made in the Archegrams. The model shows mega structure (flexible configuration) how the units can be multiplied.

Structure 69 Project name Schichtenstadt / As a structure, the Layered City separates Layered City the long term from the short term. The Author Bernhard Hafner infrastructural model forms the long- In collaboration with Susan Abramson, lasting structure for the expansion, which Conte, Michael Mekeel, Pamela Palmer can change over time in view of new social Period 1974 developments. The structure and expansion Status Not realised are interdependent: components of varying Location/place form and function can be connected in a Client/developer variety of ways. A multi-functional city dis- Project type Multi-functional used trict with stores and studios is divided up by structure pedestrian streets and lanes via a basement with parking places and infrastructural ser- ‘Hard image’ and ‘soft image’ of the city vice. It is located next to a park and forms a In 1974 the Layered City was created as a base, the roof surfaces of which are a semi- component of urban planning architecture— public roof garden, from which stretched the result of a design studio at the UCLA supporting systems for apartments can be lasting two semesters. It is a ‘hard image’ of accessed, like bridges. The apartments can the Smart City and applies the findings of also be reached from the streets via lifts the research on the Comparative Simulation and emergency stairs. Combining the parks Atlas of Alternative Urban Prototypes as a leads to a city park with multi-functional ‘soft image’ of the city. Smart City modules surrounding it.

Structure 70 Urban investigations Computersimulationen alternativer Stadt- prototypen/Comparative Simulation Atlas of Alternative Urban Prototypes (1967–1970, seit 2007): The Really Smart City; Urban planning competition, South Vienna (1968–1971)

In a series of investigations, Hafner con- cerns himself with the depiction of urban planning interventions and their effect on the city. The city presents itself in the ‘hard image’ through architecture, parks and infrastruc- ture objects, and in the ‘soft image’ as its socio-economic condition, in which pat- terns emerge of locations, of population distribution and patronage of public or private facilities, of employees, turnover and land use. Such data can be mapped and serve for the simulation of city inhab- itants’ behaviour, as also for their interac- tions with the said facilities. These are often unconscious acts, and moreover are also not the subject of urban planning. Here the socio-economic state of the proto- type of a distribution model is shown (dis- persion prototype), a form of city without a centre. It is an open, entropic structure, marked by facilities and inhabitants’ behav- iour—a decentralised agglomeration with concentrations in a infrastructural network Project name Computersimulationen that connects them. Patterns of locations alternativer Stadtprototypen/Comparative are shown, as well as agglomerations, inter- Simulation Atlas of Alternative Urban actions, and the strains of the transport Prototypes network of the lower level in a mesh size of Author Bernhard Hafner 300 × 300 m. On the lowest level, all the In collaboration with spatial units (cells) can be accessed among Period 1967–1970, since 2007 each other, whether directly or indirectly. Status Completed Location/place Client/developer Project type Research project at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Structure 71 Project name Zellflex tral car-free square. The site where it was Authors Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth to be situated had originally been reserved In collaboration with Manfred Brogyanyi, for eight detached houses. However, Huth Armin Royer and Domenig carried out a study to show Period 1965 that 40 living units in the form of grow- Status Not realised ing terraced houses could be accommo- Location/place Zeltweg dated there. As well as aspiring to urban Client/developer Director Franz Gumbsch, consolidation, Zellflex incorporated initial Zeltweg plant (steel and mechanical attempts at user codetermination. Follow- engineering) ing the erection of a primary structure made Construction task/type Residential building of cost-effective prefabricated components, each family would be able to develop the Moving on from the traditional detached floor plans of their individual living unit house within a given plan grid. They also had As early as 1965, in an attempt to move on privileged access to materials and formwork from the traditional detached house and systems through their workplace at the produce more compact developments, Huth plant, and they were to carry out much of and Domenig presented a concept describ- the interior building work themselves. The ing a residential complex in Zeltweg for project ended when Director Gumbsch was the employees of the engineering works replaced by a new plant director, and Zell- located there. On behalf of the director of flex remained a mere concept design. Some the plant, Franz Gumbsch, the architects of its ideas were used in the Ragnitz project designed a village-like arrangement of in 1965-66. growing terraced houses set around a cen-

Structure 72 Project name Stadt Ragnitz (City) architects were paid and released from the Authors Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth contract. In collaboration with Heribert Altenbacher, An exhibition held in 1967, in cooperation Manfred Brogyanyi, Helmut Kraitsy, Peter with the Werkgruppe Graz in the Forum Potthast, Armin Royer, Hilmar Schönauer, Stadtpark, provided them with the oppor- Eckhart Schuster, Peter Stöffler, Peter tunity to develop the study further and Hellweger produce a model. Huth described the idea of Period 1965–1966 a vertically stacked living development as a Status Not realised ‘reality utopia’—a technoid support struc- Location/place Graz-Ragnitz, Grand Prix ture with variable habitation modules, spa- d’Urbanisme et d’Architecture, Cannes, tial cells and supply shafts. It represented 1969 a ‘city of the future’ for Ragnitz, a suburb of Auftraggeber Director Fleischmann/GWS Graz. The living units were not thought of Construction task/type Reality utopia of a in a multiple way—residents were to design vertically organised district their living space individually, according to their own wishes. Although the project was Individual living as an active pursuit in a never implemented, it attracted a great deal compact construction form of attention. In 1968, Huth and Domenig In 1966, the contract for a development submitted the plans to a French competi- study in the Ragnitz valley led Huth and tion on visions of urban development. In Domenig to design the megastructure 1969, the ‘Ragnitz Residential Project’ was Ragnitz City. However, the study they selected from 800 applications for a pres- presented—for a compact living develop- entation in Cannes, along with nine other ment incorporating private and public areas projects. Finally, it was awarded the Grand on an equal measure—was rejected. The Prix d’Urbanisme et d’Architecture.

Structure 73 Project name Space House the ground. Urban organisation is seen as Author Konrad Frey an open system of infrastructure. Users In collaboration with Heidulf Gerngross, can furnish their homes according to their Bernd Capra individual needs and tastes with the help of Period 1966 functional modules from the DIY store. Status Not realised Space House is an example of the pos- Location/place City of Salzburg sibility of building a network of functional Client/developer modules within a given infrastructure. The Project type Megastructure units connect to a central area that can be formed as a negative space between the Life in space* modules ‘through the topological swelling The project Space House was carried out in of a node in the tetrahedron structure with 1966 as part of a seminar on urban develop- connections in 18 directions’. ment led by Jacob Berend Bakema at the Frey adopts Bakema’s idea of the growing Salzburg Summer Academy. Inspired not house, which, starting off from a central least by Yona Freedman’s Paris project and core, can be extended individually accord- Bernhard Hafner’s City in Space, Konrad Frey ing to the needs of the inhabitants. He designed a superstructure above the old attempts to overcome limitations by means town of Salzburg, a spatial service structure of geometry and construction. to support user loads and transport connec- tion, with technical facilities throughout. * Shortened form of the text developed as part of a research project funded by the FWF at the TU Graz, entitled ‘Die The construct, in the form of a self-reinforc- Solarhäuser von Konrad Frey - Umweltforschung und solares ing tetrahedron structure, is elevated with Wissen im Entwurf’ (Konrad Frey’s solar houses – environmen- tal research and solar knowledge in the draft) widely-spaced supports, creating an auton- (www.konradfrey.tugraz.at). omous constructed landscape far above

Structure 74 A green outer skin In 1970, the German architect Hermann Grub was awarded the contract to develop a stretch of the Atlantic coastline near Agadir in Morocco, around 30 km long, for the tourist trade. Under the name of ‘actif au maroc’, he put together a team of sociolo- gists, psychologists, culture professionals and architects committed to this task. Floraskin is an agglomeration consisting of a primary support structure with filling elements and a spatial climate shell. The construction can be adapted to any kind of landscape situation, and expanded as required. Following on from the ideas that emerged in Ragnitz City, Domenig and Huth designed a large hotel complex from serially produced individual units such as nodes, pressure rod traction cable bracing and connection points for expansion. The individual parts were to be built together into basic star- shaped units which, joined together, would form the spatial support structure. The idea was to slide the infrastructure and the hotel room clusters into the construction vol- umes, which were to be produced from spa- tial cells reinforced with plastic (cocoons). For reasons of climate protection, and in order to shield the entire shell, the external surface was to be overgrown with vegeta- tion—as suggested by the name ‘Floraskin’. Project name Floraskin Due to the overthrow of the Moroccan gov- Authors Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth ernment, the implementation of the whole In collaboration with Helmut Hafner, ‘actif au maroc’ programme failed. Hartmut Skerbisch, Michael Szyszkowitz, In the project medium total (1969/70), Gundi Trauna, Heinz Wondra ideas from Floraskin were transferred to a Period 1971 utopian level—a biological living jelly, self- Status Not realised sustaining, regenerating and adaptable, Location/place Morocco, Atlantic coast inhabited by future suprahumanides. It was Client/developer Morrocan Tourist Board, most recently presented in Paris in 2015 at World Bank the World Climate Conference. Construction task/type Large hotel complex, primary spatial structure with development elements and greenery

Structure 75 Project name Refurbishment of the church of the church interior, a kindergarten, a block at Kaiser-Josef-Platz youth club, an extendable multi-purpose Author Konrad Frey hall and an assembly room. The two main In collaboration with levels are connected by means of two ramps Period 1967 running towards one another, whilst a Status Not realised bridge on the upper level leads to the neigh- Location/place Kaiser-Josef-Platz, Graz bouring building. Client/developer Technical University of Frey’s design sees the church as an envi- Graz (final state examination project, ronmental jukebox, handing over the task architectural studies) of ‘interior design’ to the users. Through Project type Multi-functional building the control of installations at the exterior complex shell, visual and acoustic factors governing environmental impressions—such as light, Environmental Jukebox* climate, smells, noises and images—can be Konrad Frey completed his architectural staged in a virtual sense. These are experi- studies at the Technical University of Graz enced in different ways, for example as the in 1967 with a design for a multifunctional Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, building complex at Kaiser-Josef-Platz. Frey a woodland monastery, a field of flowers, suggests a designed structure that is partly outer space ... This media-influenced idea open towards the top. Like a built land- of architecture is also shown at the exte- scape, it transforms the site, making refer- rior, where projections and installations are ence to the urban context. played out towards the public city space. At street level, provision is made for entranceways and a passage with shops, a * Shortened form of the text developed as part of a research project funded by the FWF at the TU Graz, entitled ‘Die library for young people, the church offices Solarhäuser von Konrad Frey - Umweltforschung und solares and a car lift to an underground car park. Wissen im Entwurf’ (Konrad Frey’s solar houses – environmen- tal research and solar knowledge in the draft) On the upper level there is a ‘social labora- (www.konradfrey.tugraz.at). tory on a raised meadow’ (Frey), consisting

Structure 76

Anna Meyer paintings, objects and installations, the perception of (urban) reality is characterised House—Animals—People by the superimposition of various elements of a global consumer culture and the threat On several visits to Graz and the surround- of social decay. ing area, Anna Meyer produced photo- graphs, drawings and initial sketches. Back in her studio in Vienna, she transferred some of the motifs to larger formats and three-dimensional architectural models. Some of the objects she painted appear in the exhibition Graz Architecture, whilst oth- ers are new additions made by the artist. Anna Meyer begins with the transition zones between the house, animals and humans, with hybrid architecture. In her paintings and models, the wall becomes skin, the Born in 1964 in Schaffhausen (CH), lives in structure is bone, the house has similari- Vienna (AT) ties with a human being. On the other hand, however, the skin becomes a wall, the bones Solo exhibition and projects (selected): form a structure, the person becomes a Digitale Wesen befahlen, Galerie mera, house. Meyer focuses on buildings with an Schaffhausen (2017); Weiche Profile, amorphous character, such as the refec- Kunstraum Weikendorf, Art in Public Space tory of the School Sisters Convent designed Lower Austria (2017); Curated by, Galerie by Huth/Domenig, or the Kunsthaus Graz Krobath, Vienna (group exhibition); Stupid by Cook and Fournier. At first glance, the Painting, Stop your Sobbing Kluckyland, Zusertal House by Szyszkowitz + Kowalski Vienna (2016); Sein oder Online, Galerie almost looks as though it is attached to its Krobath, Berlin (2015); Time Wounds all surroundings by means of a kind of umbili- Healers, Galerie Maçka, Istanbul (2013); cal cord. Yet the present as portrayed by Paint to Politain 2, Jesuitenfoyer, Vienna Meyer is anything but rosy—it has more of (2013); Angestellt in der Firma Welt, Cham- an apocalyptic feel to it. Familiar elements ber of Labour, Vienna, outdoor billboard are alienated with regard to their size and (2013); PAINT TO POLITAIN, NACHKRI- colour, and exaggerated. Idyllic scenarios SENMALEREI, Kunstverein Schaffhausen/ are placed alongside threatening ones, and Galerie Mera (2011); Sense and Sensibility, the friendly alien finally turns out to be not Kunstverein Salzburg (group exhibition); so friendly when we read the inscription ‘Hi, FUTUREFEMINISMUS, Galerie HSLUK&D, ich schaff euch alle (Hi, I will get you all).’ Luzern (2011), WELTENSAUGER, Galerie In the objects, the principle of hybrid- Antje Wachs, Berlin­ (2010); ANOTHER TIME, ity between human, animal and house, ANOTHER PLANET, outdoor billboard, Gaso- between painting and architecture, becomes meter, Vienna(2010); WHITE CUBE SITCOM, clearer still when Meyer creates animal-like Kunstverein Langenhagen e. V., Langhagen architectural models from packaging, empty (2008); Schlechte Malerinnen sind bessere water bottles, or cream jars, reworking them Künstlerinnen, Galerie für Zeitgenössische in a painterly manner. In Anna Meyer’s Kunst, Leipzig (2006).

78 Aesthetics Günther Domenig 1980s, Frey’s projects pointing in this direction were planned at the ‘ifu’ (Institute of Environ- Born in 1934 in Klagenfurt, studied architecture mental Research), in the form of interdisciplinary at the Technical University (TU) Graz. From 1963 research. From 1988 to 2001, Frey had his own to 1973 he was in an office partnership with Eil- architectural office in Graz. Up to the present fried Huth; since 1973 he has had his own archi- day, he works as a visiting professor and lecturer tectural offices in Graz, Klagenfurt and Vienna. in Graz, Vienna, Innsbruck, Germany, England, In 1998, Günther Domenig, Hermann Eisenköck the USA and Canada in addition to his architec- and Herfried Peyker founded Architektur Consult tural practice. ZT GmbH, which Domenig left in 2006. In 2005 he formed a partnership with Gerhard Wallner, Volker Giencke founding Domenig & Wallner ZT GmbH. From 1980 to 2000, Domenig was a professor of Born in 1947 in Wolfsberg, Carinthia. After building theory and residential construction at studying architecture and philosophy in Graz the TU Graz. As an architect, he designed prem- and Vienna, he collaborated with Merete Mat- ises or presentation rooms for numerous compa- tern’s office at Garnpoint near Prien/Chiemsee nies including Rikki Reiner, Humanic and Funder. and in Munich, with Raimund Herms in Hamburg, Domenig’s main field of interest was architec- and with Günther Domenig in Vienna. He opened tural spatial sculpture, for example the so-called ‘Giencke & Company’ in Graz in 1981. A further Nix-Nuz-Nix—a ‘bird that cannot fly’, built from office was opened in Seville for the planning of stainless steel and tinted perspex. The Nix-Nuz- the Austrian Pavilion at EXPO ’92, and another Nix started out as an architectonic ‘amplifying in Riga in 2004. From 1992 onwards, Giencke feature’ for a bank building, and later became a was a professor of construction and design at ‘decorative bird’ and an ‘advertising bird’ for the the University of Innsbruck. In 2000, he took footwear company Humanic. On behalf of Graz over the Institut für Entwerfen und bildner- Opera House, Domenig created stage designs for ische Gestaltung and developed ./studio 3, a Elektra by Richard Strauss in 1995 and Moses new institute for experimental architecture and and Aron by Arnold Schönberg in 1998. Domenig design. For a period of ten years he lead the died in 2012. workshop ‘ESPREITA DO MAR’ in Lagoa de Santo André in Portugal, again on the theme of design. Konrad Frey He also carried out a large number of teaching assignments, for example at the Yale School of Born in 1934 in Vienna, studied chemistry in Architecture New Haven (USA), at the University Graz and the USA, followed by architecture at College London—Bartlett School of Architecture, the Technical University of Graz. He completed at Rizvi College Bombay, at L’Ecole Polytech- his studies in 1967, and went to London in 1968. nique Nantes, and at the Universidad de Buenos Between 1968 and 1971 he collaborated with Aires. For Volker Giencke, architecture consti- Arup Associates, and from 1971 to 1975—forma- tutes a balance between aesthetics, function, tive years for Frey—he had a joint London office construction and science. Sometimes it took with Florian Beigel. In 1974, he returned to live years for his innovative and ambitious buildings in Graz. In search of opportunities to continue to be realised. His works feature a combination his innovative experimental approaches towards of simple, clear material language, economy of the modernisation of architecture, Frey worked means, interest in detailed constructional/tech- at the Institute of Environmental Research (now nical solutions with high aesthetic standards, Joanneum Research) between 1974 and 1987. and a desire for architecture to be emotional, Here he turned his attention to testing alterna- unique and autonomous, creating a lasting spa- tive energy sources, culminating in the idea of tial experience. designing buildings as collectors and storage systems in their own right. In the 1970s and

80 Bernhard Hafner of the Arts, where he remained until 2002. In Huth’s approach, work begins before the tradi- Born in Graz in 1940, studied architecture at the tional stages of construction planning. Political, Graz University and at Harvard University, where economic and social structures form the basis he first came into contact with the Harvard of his architectural ideas. This is reflected in Laboratory of Computer Graphics. He was a pro- many of his projects featuring codetermination fessor at the University of California, Los Ange- and participation (including the Eschen Develop- les, and a guest professor at Cornell University, ment, Gerlitzgründe Residential Building, Thal New York, the University of Texas, Arlington, Residential Complex) and his work on architec- and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. In tural mediation programmes (Teaching Experi- 1980, Hafner moved back to Graz. He worked ments on Aesthetic Learning). His interest in as a freelance architect until 2000. Up to the social housing and participation models from the present day, his work has focussed primarily on mid-1970s onwards made him a pioneer of user- the field of architectural theory and research. defined housing and a ‘participation expert’. In 1966, the architect showed his works at the Huth attributes a high value to aesthetics, con- exhibition Struktureller Städtebau (Structural sidering it an important factor in the assimila- Urban Development) at the Neue Galerie Graz. In tion of knowledge through sensory perception. 2002, he published essays and discussions on In this way, the architect unites aesthetic and architecture and urban space under the title of socio-political questions in his work. Architektur und sozialer Raum (Architecture and Social Space). In the same year, Tanz der Lurche, Szyszkowitz + Kowalski Gruppensex im Quappenpool und andere Gedi- chte und Zeichnungen zum Zeitgeist (Dance of Karla Kowalski, born in 1941 in Beuthen/Upper the Amphibians, Group Sex in the Tadpole Pool Silesia, studied architecture at the Technical and Other Poems and Drawings on Zeitgeist) University of Darmstadt and completed her post- was published. Inspired by William Grey Walter’s graduate studies at the Architectural Associa- book The Living Brain, Hafner developed his tion School in London. From 1969 to 1971, she ideas on architecture and urban space, network worked on the Olympia buildings at the office architecture and architectural networks. In his of Behnisch & Partner in Munich, where she met theory, developed and undeveloped space is Michael Szyszkowitz. From 1988 to 2003, she viewed as being synonymous and of equal value. was a professor for public buildings and design In contrast to form and composition, Hafner at the University of Stuttgart. focuses on structures that organise space and Michael Szyszkowitz, born in 1944 in Graz, stud- arrange objects in a nondeterministic way—thus ied architecture at the Technical University there. fundamentally offering several possibilities, In 1970/71, he worked on the Olympia buildings without temporal restrictions. In a series of com- in Munich at the office of Huth and Domenig. puter-generated studies on urban space, Hafner From 1984 to 1991, Szyszkowitz was the vice- turned his attention to the behaviour patterns, president of the Central Association of Austrian usage and interactions of its inhabitants. Architects, local association of Styria. In 1987, he was a co-founder of the House of Architecture Eilfried Huth in Graz, and since 1998, he has been the deputy chairman of the ASVK. From 1998 to 2012, he Born in 1930 in Pangalengan on Java, Indonesia. was a professor for building theory and design at He studied architecture at the Technical Uni- the University of Braunschweig. versity of Graz, working as a freelance architect In 1973, the planning partnership Szyszkowitz + from 1956 onwards. Huth worked in partnership Kowalski was founded, continuing until Michael with Günther Domenig from 1963 until 1975, Szyszkowitz’s sudden death in 2016. The couple when he set up his own office. In 1985, he was married in 1974, and in 1978 they founded the appointed professor at the Berlin University architectural office Szyszkowitz + Kowalski in

81 Graz, which still exists today under the name of 2011, Hybridarchitektur & Hyperfunktionen Szyszkowitz-Kowalski and Partners. Apart from (Hybrid Architecture and Hyperfunctions), a series of detached houses, some of the most 2007, Architekturalgorithmen (Architectural important projects carried out by the team are Algorithms), 1996, and Das Binäre Haus (The extensive constructions in Graz city centre, and Binary House), 1989. He combines a theoreti- residential complexes and university buildings cally developed basis with constructional imple- in Germany and Austria. Together, Szyszkowitz mentation, working in the areas of the refur- + Kowalski developed an architectural approach bishment of historical buildings, social housing, that engages residents, users and passers-by in interior, object and exhibition design and media an emotional way, attempting to forge a connec- art. From the beginning, Plottegg followed a tion between people and the spatial structure. concept of architecture that deconstructs con- Colour plays an important role in the design. ventional working methods and any form of The merging of architecture, nature and the determinism, replacing them with open, generat- environment is another determining aspect of ing systems. Plottegg does not use computers their work—in terms of its proportionality, archi- as a tool to imitate analogue/existing situa- tecture is directly related to people and their tions—his designs are the result of algorithmic surroundings. It does not only inscribe itself into manipulations. The main subject of interest is the landscape, but becomes part of the land- not an objective, a product, a building, but a scape itself, retaining its individual character planning process that allows processual archi- at the same time. The main body of the team’s tecture to develop. Basically, Plottegg questions design work is visualised in drawings—drawing both the auratic object and the demiurgic archi- is used to approach the core of the construction tect. In Plottegg’s work, deconstruction arises task and as a method of discourse between the through overcoming the conventional rules of two architects. architecture.

Manfred Wolff-Plottegg

Born in 1946 in Schröder, Styria, studied archi- tecture at the Technical University of Graz and the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Com- pleted a postgraduate management course at the Vienna University of Economics and Busi- ness. Since 1983, he has had his own archi- tectural office in Graz, also teaching the basic principles of design, planning methods and algorithm design at institutions such as the University of Design in Linz, the Technical Uni- versity of Graz and the University of Innsbruck. In 1994/95, he was a professor of CAAD at the TU Munich, and from 2001 to 2011, a profes- sor of building theory and design and director of the Institute of Architecture and Design at the Technical University of Vienna. Between 2014 and 2017, he was a teaching professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bra- tislava. Plottegg is the author of numerous essays and books, such as Architecture beyond Inclusion and Identity is Exclusion and Differ- ence from Art, 2015, Architecture...Scripting,

82 Supporting programme

Curator’s tours with Barbara Steiner and guests at 11 am respectively Sun, 15.10.2017, with Petra Friedl Sun, 19.11.2017, with Ingrid Böck Sun, 28.01.2018, bus tour with Sophia Walk and Barbara Steiner

Tea on Tuesday (in cooperation with HDA) at 5 pm respectively Tue, 14.11.2017, with Eilfried Huth and Karla Kowalski in conversation with Helena Eichlinger and Leon Scheufler Tue, 12.12.2017, with Volker Giencke and Konrad Frey in conversation with Magdalena Schepe/ minifom and Zerina Dzubur Tue, 16.01.2018, with Bernhard Hafner and Eugen Gross in conversation with Anna Sachsen- hofer and Philipp Glanzner

Work discussions with the architects with Christof Elpons, Monika Holzer-Kernbichler or Antonia Veitschegger at 3.30 pm respectively Fri, 13.10.2017, with Konrad Frey Fri, 10.11.2017, with Bernhard Hafner, drafts Fri, 17.11.2017, with Eilfried Huth in cooperation with the Künstlerhaus – Halle für Kunst und Medien Fri, 01.12.2017, with Volker Giencke Sun, 17.12.2017, with Bernhard Hafner, Smart City Fri, 26.01.2018, with Karla Kowalski Sat, 27.01.2018, with Manfred Wolff-Plottegg

Lecture by Eugen Gross Graz – lasst die Arche tektur an Land kommen Eine byblosophische Geschichte Thu, 11.01.2018, 7 pm, Space04

Further information on the events can be found at the website www.kunsthausgraz.at

83 Index of the architectonical projects Eilfried Huth ● Eschensiedlung Deutschlandsberg p. 57 Günther Domenig ● Haus Weinburg p. 33 ● Büro- und Lagergebäude Zultner p. 17 ● Nur Armut hat Zukunft – p. 49 ● Das Steinhaus p. 27 Konfrontationen 77 ● Explosion p. 29 ● Sparkasse Deutschlandsberg p. 65 ● Vogel Nix-Nuz-Nix p. 28 ● Unterrichtsversuche zum p. 13 ● Wohnanlage Neufeldweg p. 42 ästhetischen Lernen ● Zentralsparkasse Favoriten p. 15 ● Wohnanlage BIG I, Deutschlandsberg p. 64 ● Wohnmodell Gerlitzgründe, p. 60 Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth Wohnbau Graz-Puntigam ● Floraskin p. 75 ● Schulschwestern, Mehrzwecksaal p. 55 Szyszkowitz + Kowalski ● Stadt Ragnitz p. 73 ● Haus über Graz p. 31 ● Zellflex p. 72 ● Haus Zusertal p. 34 ● Schloss Großlobming Fachschule und p. 37 Konrad Frey Kulturzentrum / Volksschule ● Cowicle p. 46 ● Wohnanlage Alte Poststraße p. 61 ● Low Budget Loft Haus p. 53 ● Wohnbebauung Küppersbusch p. 48 ● Haus Fischer p. 47 IBA Emscher Park ● Haus Zankel p. 32 ● Space House p. 74 Manfred Wolff-Plottegg ● Revitalisierung des Kirchenblocks p. 76 ● Das Binäre Haus p. 35 am Kaiser-Josef-Platz ● Generatoren p. 21 ● Sundome – Schalentragwerk p. 54 ● Hybrid Architektur p. 20 für Hallen ● ReSoWi-Zentrum Universität Graz, p. 26 ● Wellpappehaus p. 52 Wettbewerb ● Wohnbebauung Heidenreichstraße, p. 41 Volker Giencke Seiersberg ● Abtei Seckau p. 38 ● Zusammengebrochenes Bett / p. 19 ● Gewächshäuser Botanischer Garten p. 51 Metamorphose einer Stadtwohnung der Universität Graz ● Kirche in Aigen p. 14 ● Odörfer p. 16 ● Wohnbau Carl-Spitzweg-Gasse p. 44

Bernhard Hafner ● Archegramme / Archegrams p. 67 ● Computersimulationen alternativer p. 71 Stadtprototypen / Comparative Simulation Atlas of Alternative Urban Prototypes ● Lineare Stadt / Linear City p. 69 ● Montanuniversität, p. 39 Laborhalle – Zubau ● Schichtenstadt / Layered City p. 70 ● Raumstadt / City in Space p. 68 ● Rettenbachersiedlung p. 43

84 Index of the artistic projects Teslahaus, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm Julia Gaisbacher p. 58 Wischfinger Gottes, 2017 Mein Traumhaus ist kein Haus*, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm (*Quote Eilfried Huth) Installation, consisting of an 80-parts slide All: Courtesy of the artist and Krobath Vienna series, simulation model for the housing model Deutschlandsberg and for the Teaching Experi- Arthur Zalewski p. 4 ments on Aesthetic Learning, 1973–74 (loan Favoriten, 2017 Eilfried Huth) Installation, consisting of silkscreens Archive of the TU Graz, slide collection (100 × 70 cm) and dual projection Wolfdiete­r Dreibholz, Archive Doris Pollet- Courtesy of the artist and ASPN, Leipzig Kammerland­er, Archive Eilfried Huth Courtesy of the artist

Oliver Hangl p. 62 Szenario Alte Poststraße, akustisch (II), 2017 Audio installation, conversation model: mixed media, 100 × 70 cm Courtesy of the artist

Mischa Kuball p. 10 public preposition / UTOPIA, 2017 BIX project / Kunsthaus Graz Courtesy of the artist

Anna Meyer p. 78 Skeleton, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm Fish, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm Knochenhaus, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm Walhaus, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm Kröte, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm Containerhaus, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 20 × 50 cm Elephanthaus, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 50 × 50 cm Pillengarten Eden, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 50 × 50 cm Austerpfau, 2017 Oil on plexiglass, 50 × 50 cm

85 Imprint Director Kunsthaus Graz Barbara Steiner This exhibition guide is published on occasion of the exhibition Director Universalmuseum Joanneum Wolfgang Muchitsch Graz Architecture Rationalists, Aesthetes, Gut Instinct Architects, Exhibition Democrats, Mediacrats Curator In cooperation with the steirischer herbst festival Barbara Steiner and the Künstlerhaus – Halle für Kunst & Medien, Co-Curator Graz, Neue Galerie Graz, HDA and TU Graz. Katia Huemer Registrar Kunsthaus Graz Elisabeth Ganser, Magdalena Reininger Universalmuseum Joanneum Exhibition design September 23, 2017 – January 28, 2018 Rainer Stadlbauer; Anna Lena von Helldorff (buero total) Exhibition Installation The Kunsthaus Graz is a joint venture between the Robert Bodlos, David Bosin, Ivan Drlje, Simon Duh, Province of Styria and the City of Graz within the Fabian Egger, Markus Ettinger, Helmut Fuchs, Ivan context of the Universalmuseum Joanneum. Gorickic, Bernd Klinger, Irmgard Knechtl, Andreas Lindbichler, Stefan Reichmann, Klaus Riegler, Kindly supported by Michael Saupper, Stefan Savič, Peter Semlitsch Stadt Graz Restoration/Conservation Land Steiermark Paul-Bernhard Eipper, Julia Hüttmann, Evgeniia Sannikova, Melitta Schmiedel, Fenna Yola Tykwer Educational Team Monika Holzer-Kernbichler, Verena Borecky, Anna Döcker, Christof Elpons, Gabriele Gmeiner, Barbara Lainerberger, Marta Binder, Romana Schwarzenberger, Barbara Thaler, Antonia Veitschegger, Markus Waitschacher

Exhibition Guide

Editor Barbara Steiner Kunsthaus Graz Assistant Editor Universalmuseum Joanneum Elisabeth Schlögl Lendkai 1 Texts 8020 Graz, Österreich pp. 32, 52, 54, 74, 76: Ingrid Böck T: +43-(0)316/8017-9200 p. 58: Julia Gaisbacher, Katia Huemer, Barbara [email protected] Steiner www.kunsthausgraz.at p. 31: Andrea Gleiniger, Karla Kowalski p. 71: Bernhard Hafner, Barbara Steiner p. 62: Katia Huemer p. 64: Eilfried Huth pp. 37, 48, 61: Karla Kowalski, Barbara Steiner pp. S. 13, 14, 16, 33, 38, 44, 49, 51, 55, 60, 61, 72, pp. 28, 29: Photo Courtesy Az W, 73, 75: Katia Huemer, Barbara Steiner Architekturzentrum Wien, Sammlung p. 34: Karla Kowalski, Karin Wilhelm pp. 32, 34, 37, 49, 63: Wolfdieter Dreibholz pp. 4, 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 27–30, 36, 38, 39, 40, p. 59 (below): Julia Gaisbacher 42, 43, 45, 46, 50, 53, 56, 57, 66–68, 70, 78: pp. 14, 16, 44, 51: Photo Courtesy Archiv Atelier Barbara Steiner Giencke pp. 19–26, 35, 41: Barbara Steiner, Manfred Wolff- pp. 39, 43, 68, 70–72: Bernhard Hafner Plottegg p. 63: Oliver Hangl p. 47: Sophia Walk p. 77: Anna Lena von Helldorff Translation p. 53: Emilian Hinteregger Louise Bromby, Andrew Horsfield (pp. 6, 18, 31, 36, pp. 13, 49, 57, 60–62: Photo Courtesy Eilfried Huth 71, 83, 85) pp. 45–47, 74, 76: Konrad Frey Proof Reading pp. 15: Karl Kofler Kate Howlett-Jones; Y'plus (pp. 6, 12, 18, 30, 31, p. 11: Photo Courtesy Archiv Mischa Kuball, 36, 40, 45, 50, 56, 66, 70, 71) Düsseldorf Graphic Concept, Design and Image Editing pp. 21, 52, 54, 75: N. Lackner/UMJ Karin Buol-Wischenau, Michael Posch p. 67: François Lauginie, Courtesy Collection Frac Print Centre-Val de Loire Medienfabrik Graz p. 55: Branko Lenart Paper p. 79: Anna Meyer Invercote G, 260 g/m² pp. 17, 68: paul ott photografiert Recycling Cyclus, 80 g/m² p. 38: Ralph Richter Fonts p. 73: Eckart Schuster Tram Joanneum p. 33: Hans Georg Tropper Bild+Grafik p. 59 (above): G. Wolf Published by pp. 19–26, 35, 41: Photo Courtesy Manfred Wolff- Universalmuseum­ Joanneum GmbH Plottegg pp. 5, 42: Arthur Zalewski ISBN 978-3-90209-599-2 p. 27: Gerald Zugmann / www.zugmann.com The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publica- Cover: tion in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed Arthur Zalewski, from: Favoriten, 2017, ASPN, bibliographic data is available on the Internet at Leipzig http://dnb.ddb.de.

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© 2017 Kunsthaus Graz, Universalmuseum Joanneum © for the reproduced works by the architects, artists or their estates © for the printed texts by the authors, translators or their estates © Bildrecht, Vienna, 2017: Julia Gaisbacher (p. 59), Volker Giencke (pp. 14, 16, 38, 44, 51), Oliver Hangl (p. 63), Anna Meyer (p. 79)

© Photos: p. 31: Photo Courtesy Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Szyszkowitz-Kowalski-Archiv pp. 32, 34, 37, 45, 46, 47, 48, 63, 74, 76: Photo Courtesy Archiv der TU Graz

Aesthetics