Architects who build nothing

Who knows this “missing link”? An architectural group from the 1970s whose members are all known as the soloists: Krischanitz, Kapfinger, Hareiter. Discovery.

Architecture as a rock band, collectively rebelled: In Vienna in the 1960s, anyone who wanted to appear radical and utopian worked in a group. Coop Himmelb (l) au, Zünd up, and Haus-Rucker-Co are the most popular names of today. The smallest of these groups is the least known, even if its members are all known as soloists – architect Adolf Krischanitz, architectural critic Otto Kapfinger. and film set designer Angela Harter, one of very few women who could carry themselves around at the time, and into architecture at the time. Intuitive to her, she is now inside Mac against it. Her mother, Herta Hariter (1923-2015), was a successful film engineer and film designer.

All over the Schwager

But what is the name of this trio that met at TU in 1970 and was linked to the legendary Karl Schwarzer professorship? The link is missing, there it is. An exhibition at MAK that was overwhelmingly comprehensive and fragmented shows the interconnected role and bridge function that this group had already played in the history of Vienna art and architecture – only existing for a decade. And you can also understand why no one has lost this link yet. The three young students of TU did not build any distinct buildings, nor did they build any single one. Nor did they design inflatable furniture and other science fiction designs like Hans Hollein or Walter Pichler. The works they have done stand as reference at the beginning of the show. The “missing link”, if any, can be recognized by its colorful miniature gouache (see figure), partly studies of its purposes, and partly completely free. Free in what was then a vast area between architecture, urban planning, performance and sculpture. Also free to absorb influences such as Pichler, Gironcoli, Land Art and Actionism. This is the freedom the three allowed themselves, which also makes them difficult to understand.