August Sarnitz – författare

Der Titel des Buches setzt die beiden Tätigkeitsfelder, das Bauen und das Schreiben, des Architekten, Architekturhistorikers und Theoretikers August Sarnitz in eine wechselseitige Beziehung: im Schreiben entsteht der Kontext zum Gebauten – so wie das Bauen im Kontext des Geschriebenen steht. Eben diesem Wechselspiel folgt auch der Aufbau des Buches: einem Essay über Architekturgeschichte und Big Data folgen drei Aufsätze zu den Themen Städtebau, sozialem Wohnbau und der Fiktion des Raums. Auch einige prägende Wiener Architekten treten auf: Frank, Kiesler, Hollein und Prix. Die Themen Wohnen, Design und Möbel werden mit eigenen Projekten von Sarnitz illustriert am Ende widmet sich das Buch der Architekturfotografie, die für Sarnitz als Publizisten große Bedeutung hat.

Adolf Loos (1870–1933) was a flamboyant character whose presence in the cultural hotbed of early 1900s Vienna galvanized the country’s architectural landscape. An early, impassioned advocate of modernism, he all-out rejected the grand Secessionist aesthetic prevalent at the time, as well as any hallmarks of the European fin de siècle.Instead, in lectures and essays, such as the milestone Ornament and Crime of 1908, Loos articulated his “passion for smooth and precious surfaces.” He advocated that architectural ornamentation was, by its nature, ephemeral—locked into current trends and styles, and therefore quickly dated. Loos, himself a Classicist at heart, argued instead for simple, timeless designs with time-honored aesthetic and structural qualities.In this essential introduction, we explore Loos’s writings, projects, and legacy, from his key concept of “spatial plan” architecture to his rejection of decorative fripperies in favor of opulent, fine-quality materials and crisp lines. Featured projects include Vienna’s Café Museum (1899), the fashion store Knize (1913), and the controversial Loos House (1912), which Emperor Franz Joseph I would refuse to travel past, bristling with rage at its insolently minimalist aesthetic.

The internationally acclaimed architecture office Berger+Parkkinen Architects was founded by Alfred Berger and Tiina Parkkinen in 1995 with offices in Vienna and Helsinki. It has realized a broad typological spectrum of buildings and projects, which is distinguished by a clear, elegant urbanity and an innovative approach to materials. The award-winning Embassies of the Nordic Countries in Berlin (1995–1999) counts among their most publicized works. This first monograph about the office includes an essay by Francisco Barrachina Pastor, which explores the careers and design method of the architects through selected projects, an in-depth interview, and a comprehensive index of works.