austria west
tirol vorarlberg. new architecture
February 12 – 27, 2005

Peter Lorenz, SUPER M Telfs-Puite, 2000-2001
Photo: Thomas Jantscher

Obermoser.Reitter, btv Innsbruck, 2000-2002
Photo: Günter Richard Wett

Dietrich.Untertrifaller, Festspiel- und Kongresshaus Bregenz, 1997
Photo: Bruno Klomfar

Hanno Schlögl, Salzlager Hall Kunsthalle Tirol, 1995-1997
Photo: Nikolaus Schletterer

Opening
Friday, February 11, 2005, 7 p.m.

Opening adress by Dr. Elisabeth Zanon, head of the Tyrolean government’s office for cultural affairs
Introduction to the exhibition by Liesbeth Waechter-Böhm, curator of the exhibition

The Scene
Modern architecture today is finding wide recognition in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. At the same time, the architectural scene in both regions has increasingly found international acclaim.

“austria west” will focus on these developments with a selection of 60 outstanding buildings that have been erected on both sides of the Arlberg mountain since 1995. Progressive architecture since 1960 has gone in different directions in the Rhine Valley and in the Inn Valley. Typological drawings contrast with spatial concepts – structural architecture with a sustainable service-oriented function has co-existed with distinctly individual architecture that is more geared to formal and sculptural aspects.

Both architectural regions share a creative, sculptural approach to the alpine landscape against the backdrop of a dramatic transition from an agricultural and early-industrial world to a post-industrial service-oriented society – replete with all the frictions and tensions between remaining traditions and attempts to break with them, the latter being more pronounced here than in the eastern part of Austria, and the trend towards cultural and economic modernization.

Following successful presentations in Milan, Dornbirn, Prague, Munich, New York and Helsinki the show will be presented again in an updated version.

Otto Kapfinger

The architects
The exhibition will give a condensed overview based on a selection of leading architects from the region, each of whom will present their most recent projects. The idea is to reveal the intricate workings of the various architectural scenes and to show the very broad spectrum of building tasks through the selection of projects.

An important detail is that the display of projects is thematically structured to accommodate for small additional presentations on the present situation in specific areas.

List of participating architects

Exhibition Structure
The projects are to be presented by means of images, plans and text material (German/English) on a total of 55 exhibition tables. In addition, there will be about twenty models, three project-related videos and a video giving an introduction to the region. The individual exhibition elements can be varied in terms of installation and number.

Exhibition architecture: Riccione Architekten
Graphic design: Ingeborg Kumpfmüller

The publication was produced by Birkhäuser Verlag which is also in charge of the entire sales at the exhibition venues and in bookshops. The 192-page catalogue in both English and German includes a profound, and very detailed and illustrated essay by Otto Kapfinger on the most recent architectural developments in Tyrol and Vorarlberg.
This text is followed by four-color project presentations, introduced by short texts in each chapter and accompanied by a concise project description.

Edited by Liesbeth Waechter-Böhm
German / English
Verlag Birkhäuser, Basel, 2003
192 pp., 233 ill., 109 in color, € 35,50
ISBN 3-7643-0680-7

Introductory video
The video was filmed as a spontaneous, animated workshop report on everyday architectural work in Tyrol and Vorarlberg, featuring highlights – independent of national background – such as Zaha Hadid’s ski jump, Dominique Perrault’s city hall and his MPreis supermarket, Ben van Berkel’s transformer station, Otto Steidle’s apartment building, Riegler/Riewe’s train station and, of course, also Peter Zumthor’s Kunsthaus.

A film by Sabine Jelinek und Lukas Schaller
Conception: Jelinek/Köberl/Schaller
Post-production: Wolfgang Jelinek

Internet
The exhibition project can be found on the Internet at www.austriawest.at where up-to-date information on the exhibitions can be obtained and press texts and photographs can be downloaded.

The website was put together by Liesbeth Waechter-Böhm. Ingeborg Kumpfmüller is responsible for the graphic design.

ARCHIcultur.EU
ARCHIcultur.EU provides the institutional backing for the austria west initiative. The name stands for an association that was founded by recognized Austrian architects and several architects from abroad on the recommendation of the Austrian Federal Chancellery’s advisory board for architecture.
ARCHIcultur.EU is committed to promoting high-quality architecture in Europe on the basis of the existing EU resolutions and the EU program for culture 2000.

Idea, initiative: Peter Lorenz
Fund raising, finances: Doris and Johann Obermoser
Exhibition team: Dietrich.Untertrifaller, Driendl, Henke, Köberl, Obermoser, Reitter, Riccione
Project head Innsbruck: Hanno Schlögl

Dates
"austria west" was shown in six cities between 2003 and 2005 with Innsbruck now being the seventh venue.

MILAN La Triennale di Milano, May 14 – July 13, 2003
DORNBIRN VAI Vorarlberger Architekturinstitut, December 13, 2003 – February 8, 2004
PRAGUE Lapidàrium pod Betlèmskou kaplì, February 21 – April 12, 2004
MUNICH Haus der Architektur, April 29 – May 21, 2004
NEW YORK Österreichisches Kulturforum New York, June 24 – October 30, 2004
HELSINKI Finnish Museum of Architecture, November 25, 2004 – January 23, 2005
INNSBRUCK Galerie im Taxispalais, February 12 – 27, 2005

Tours with the architects
Saturday, February 12, 2005, 11 a.m. Marte.Marte Architekten, Weiler, Vorarlberg
Saturday, Februar 19, 2005, 11 a.m. Dieter Henke, henke und schreieck Architekten, Vienna
Saturday, February 26, 2005, 11 a.m. Margarethe Heubacher-Sentobe, architect, Schwaz