Overview

Austria's little-known global architectural history: designs by Austrian architects in African and Asian countries between 1955 and 1989 and their contexts. Global-Neutral embarks on an architectural search for traces in postcolonial contexts. It documents buildings and projects by Austrian architects in African and Asian countries realised between 1955 and 1989-a period of global political upheaval during which numerous states gained independence from European colonial powers and international cooperation was increasingly marked by Cold War tensions. Designs by Djamshid Farassat, Hans Hollein, Shahrzad Seradj-Kraupp, Helene Koller-Buchwieser, Norbert Heltschl, Carl Pruscha, Hannes Lintl, Roland Rainer, and Anton Schweighofer, among others, illustrate transnational dimensions and reveal surprising connections between Austria and the Global South. In seven chapters, lavishly illustrated with reproductions of plans, images of models, photographs, and other documents from Architekturzentrum Wien's collection, the book guides readers through the complex entanglements of architecture, geopolitics, development cooperation, and transnational knowledge exchange. Scholarly essays and other contributions by international authors expand on historical, political, and cultural contexts and offer local reflections from Nepal, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Abu Dhabi. AUTHORS: Monika Platzer is a curator and head of collections at Architekturzentrum Wien. Susanne Rick is a curator at Architekturzentrum Wien and a PhD candidate at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, conducting a research project on the transnational activities of Austrian architects in Asia and Africa between 1955 and 1979. Architekturzentrum Wien is Austria's museum of architecture and has gained international renown as a public space for exhibiting, discussing, and researching the ways in which architecture and urban development influence and shape our everyday life. SELLING POINTS: . First book on the global and postcolonial entanglements of Austrian architecture during the Cold War . Documents previously unpublished buildings and projects by eminent Austrian architects in Africa and Asia . Lavishly illustrated with reproductions of plans and images of models, photographs, and documents . Contributions by international authors offer a dialogical presentation of the topic, broaden perspectives, and relate different regional experiences . Accompanies an exhibition: Global-Neutral: Architecture from Austria in Africa and Asia 1955–1989 at Architekturzentrum Wien from 16 April to 7 September 2026 136 colour, 72 b/w illustrations

Full Product Details

9783038604730

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Monika Platzer is a curator and head of collections at Architekturzentrum Wien. Susanne Rick is a curator at Architekturzentrum Wien and a PhD candidate at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, conducting a research project on the transnational activities of Austrian architects in Asia and Africa between 1955 and 1979. Architekturzentrum Wien is Austria’s museum of architecture and has gained international renown as a public space for exhibiting, discussing, and researching the ways in which architecture and urban development influence and shape our everyday life.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available