Hermann Czech. Architect in Vienna

The first monograph on the life and work of the Viennese architect, designer and architectural theorist Hermann Czech had a very positive response in the German-speaking world. But his architectural practice and his theoretical work have also been closely monitored internationally for many decades, especially in the USA and Great Britain. Hermann Czech made early in his professional life connections to English-speaking countries. Already as a student he subscribed to the American architecture magazine "Journal of the American Institute of Planners" and undertook study trips to Great Britain. Conversely, there was also early interest in Czech`s work from the Anglo-American region. In 1980 Hermann Czech took part in the exhibition A New Wave of Austrian Architecture at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York, which involved a lecture tour by the selected architects of the exhibition in the USA. In 1987 the first monographic exhibition of his work took place in London at the 9H Gallery. He was a visiting professor in Havard In 1988/89 and 1993/94. In 1995 he published as editor the German translation of the research "Pattern Language" by the American architectural theorist Christopher Alexander. In 2012 at the architecture biennial in Venice , organized by David Chipperfield, he had been invited by the English architects Caruso St.John as their guest. In 2014 he received the Fellowship from the Royal British Institute of Architects. In this sense, it can be expected that the English edition of Hermann Czech. Architect in Vienna will make a significant Austrian contribution to the international architectural discourse. The aim of this publication is to present the research results internationally, which have so far only been available in German. The research shows not only Czech`s special attitude in architecture, but also its intensive connection with the Austrian, in particular the Viennese, art and cultural background. The research work was divided into the following four main areas: 1. the cultural-historical background to Viennese modernism (especially Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos and Josef Frank and the tradition of language criticism in Vienna) 2. the biographical section with a focus on the Viennese art and architecture scene of the 1950s and 1960s (in particular the circle around the St. Stephan gallery such as Peter Kubelka, Walter Pichler and Hans Hollein or work group 4) 3. a complete list of works and publications consisting of architecture projects, buildings, furniture design, exhibition concepts and texts 4. a documentation and analysis of 30 selected buildings and projects with a focus on the relationship to Viennese modernism and its influence on contemporary architectural discourse. A foreword by Liane Lefaivre and an essay by Elisabeth Nemeth will complete the projected publication. Its extend will be around 450 pages with 246 color and 210 b / w illustrations and plan graphics. The publication will be published by Park-Books, Zurich.