Vom Bauen. Zu Leben und Werk von Ottokar Uhl

The first chapter covers a historical survey of Uhl`s architectural ideas and projects. In his early years Uhl was mainly influenced by Lois Welzenbacher, his teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, and by Konrad Wachsmann, whose seminar Uhl visited in Salzburg in 1957. The liberal Catholic spirit which prevailed at the Catholic University Parish and the St. Stephan gallery in Vienna in those days also left its mark on him. At that time it was primarily in the field of church architecture that Uhl was able to realize his ideas about building. Uhl started his work with his concept of an industrialization of the building process. It was his firm belief that an improvement of architecture could not be achieved through an improvement in the appearance and structure of the buildings but rather through an improvement in the planning process. At first his ideas mainly concerned the technological aspects, but in the course of time the social aspects got more and more important. Proof of this is witnessed in his residential buildings in whose planning the future residents were involved. Additionally his integrative views were important for his work in the field of urban development. The second chapter offers an interpretation of Uhl`s work. It focuses on three main aspects: First of all Uhl`s concept of action-focused aesthetics with the aim of establishing a subject-object relationship. Secondly, his own understanding of his work as a contribution to an education in aesthetics. And thirdly, the way he sees himself as an architect, namely as the manager of a process. Resulting from all this is a completely new idea of the planning process which sees participation as being essential to the vital needs of those participating. The final chapter lists all of Uhl`s buildings and his theoretical writings, including a summary of his publications and activities as a Professor at the University of Karlsruhe (Germany)