Helmut Richter (architect)

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Helmut Richter, architect, 1995, photographer: Mischa Erben

Helmut Richter (born June 13, 1941 in Graz ; † June 15, 2014 in Vienna ) was an Austrian architect and university professor . In addition to exhibition architecture (including in Paris, Venice, Vienna and Krems), Richter was able to include the restaurants Kiang I and II, residential buildings in Graz and others. a. a residential development with a glazed arcade in Vienna, and the Kinkplatz IT middle school in Vienna with a glazed triple gymnasium.

Life

Richter studied architecture at the Graz University of Technology until 1968 . From 1969 to 1971 he completed his training with a degree in information theory as well as systems and network theory at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he also worked as a research assistant. From 1971 to 1975 he taught as a professor of architecture at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris . In 1977 he started his freelance work as an architect with the establishment of his studio in Vienna. In 1986 Richter accepted a teaching position as a lecturer at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. From 1986 to 1987 he also taught as a visiting professor at the University of Kassel (now the University of Kassel ). From 1991 to 2007 he was a full professor at the Technical University of Vienna , chair at the department for building construction 2. Richter was buried at the Ober Sankt Veiter Friedhof .

Act

Helmut Richter began his creative activity at the end of the 1960s with competition entries and prototypes for furniture ("Loungers - Seating", "Mobile Office", "TV Chair", "Magazine Stand"). In 1967 he was one of 72 participants and won first prize in the "Wittmann Furniture Competition". The tender was a mechanical bed that can be turned into a bench by simple manipulation. Richter solved this problem by hanging a bed surface in a double tubular steel frame and mounting three independent armchairs that could be lifted up and down. This prototype was presented in the "Selection 66", in an exhibition curated by Johannes Spalt at the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts Vienna). In 1966 he also designed a "mobile office", a visionary, innovative mobile workplace, technically extremely sophisticated and way ahead of its time. He designed the single-family house "Haus Königseder" from 1977 to 1980 together with his then partner Heidulf Gerngross for a doctor. It is seen as a signal of a new departure in Austrian architecture at the end of the 1970s. Designed at the height of postmodern reconsideration, this annex testifies to “new modern” strength. The Plattner House in Lower Austria (1979–1982) was also an early building that is considered a systemic criticism of the “country house” theme. The difficulties with building permits could only be overcome at the political level. With the residential building on the Gräf & Stift grounds in Vienna 19, Helmut Richter and his partner Heidulf Gerngross realized a large communal residential building, although practically no detail was realized in Richter's sense, which is why he distanced himself from this building.

The bathroom Sares in Vienna 3 followed from 1983 to 1984. Although an invisible cabinet piece for the public, this installation in a middle-class city apartment from the early days marks the architectural turnaround back to a second modernity. Richter uses his dynamic spatial concept, which breaks radically with historical structures - not a synchronous staging of exposed old and added new layers typical of Vienna.

In 1985 the first so-called "high-tech Chinese" in Vienna followed, the Kiang I restaurant in Rotgasse in Vienna. As Dietmar Steiner remarked in the "Book for Helmut Richter", "an excitement that one can hardly imagine today. This restaurant set an architectural counterpoint to the meanwhile classic 'little Viennese architecture'". For many students at the Viennese architecture schools, these projects have become models and they owe essential impulses to him.

Klaus Semsroth honors him as a “great architect” who, as a “border crosser”, contributed to the further development of architecture and who, with his architectural work, “initiated a series of unorthodox solutions for the architecture of the 21st century”. Examples of this work are, for example, the residential complex on Brunnerstrasse, the restaurants Kiang I and Kiang II or the Hauptschule (computer science middle school) of the City of Vienna on Kinkplatz.

However, the computer science secondary school at Kinkplatz soon came under fire for massive architectural deficiencies. The building was abandoned in 2017 and is now empty. For a renovation 55 million euros are estimated, so that a demolition is also being considered.

Rudolf Schicker describes the residential building on Brunnerstrasse in Vienna (1986–1990) as a major work and "icon of contemporary architecture". As spectacular as this building is, or rather, its street-side glass facade appears at first glance, it is logical and analytical that it reacts to the undefined urban area.

The architectural historian Markus Kristan describes Helmut Richter's architectures “in the predominantly technology-hostile Austrian environment as special achievements of an international nature that break out of the norms that are mostly used in Austria. His work is closer to the work of French or English architects, where they are linked to the engineers and the construction industry through a cooperative relationship. "Richter's" unconventional solutions "often provoked a" strong response ". In the mid-1980s he dealt “with new building materials and bold constructions that were still untried at the time, which in a peculiarly sensual and poetic way even went beyond the high-tech architecture that was emerging internationally at that time” and “explored the structural possibilities of modern building materials and static calculations are explored to the limit. ”Glass is a defining element in the work of the architect. In his works he "used the means available to him sparingly" and "avoided formalism."

During his teaching activities at the Technical University of Vienna, he supervised more than 500 diploma theses. According to Johannes Baar-Baarenfels, his teaching thus shaped a generation of Viennese architects.

Numerous competitions took him abroad, including a Competition in Friedrichstadt in Berlin, 1982 and Opéra de la Bastille, Paris, 1982–1983, competition Museo del Prado, Madrid, 1995–1996 and competition for the new building of the main depot in Frankfurt, 1993.

Richter also worked as an exhibition architect in Vienna and Italy:

  • Festival exhibition "Bildlicht" in the Museum of the 20th Century in 1991 in Vienna
  • “Expulsion of Reason”, Venice Biennale, 1993

Kinkplatz Computer Science Middle School

Former Kinkplatz computer science secondary school in Vienna, exterior view

The former school, built in 1994, is Richter's most sensational work. Two wedge-shaped bodies go away from three main axes, which are made of glass and should appear light and friendly - with their bluish shimmering glass, they should be reminiscent of dragonfly wings. According to Richter's words: "I wanted to go to school where the unpleasant things that are always noticeable in schools are not immediately noticeable". These glass tracts are also visible from afar, for example from the Gloriette.

Unfortunately, the property turned out to be unsuitable for practical use: too hot in summer, too cold in winter, poor acoustics, a leaky roof, rust and mold everywhere and the gym was regularly under water. The building was by far the most expensive school in Vienna and cost EUR 24 million to be built in 1995. Due to the problems, the school was relocated to replacement quarters in 2014. This container school in Toricelligasse cost a further 14 million. In 2019 it became known that a necessary general renovation of the school would cost EUR 55 million, whereupon it was finally decided not to use the building as a school in the future.

Works (selection)

  • Lying - sitting, prototype, Wittmann furniture competition 1967, 1st prize
  • Mobile office, competition 1967
  • TV armchair, prototype 1968
  • Magazine status, state examination Graz University of Technology, 1968
  • Königseder house, extension of the doctor's house, Baumgartenberg (Austria), 1977–1980
  • Central administration building Linz, Linz City Hall competition, 1968
  • Plattner House, Sollenau (Lower Austria), 1979–1982
  • Gräf & Stift-Grund residential complex, Vienna (Austria), 1988
  • Opéra de la Bastille, International Competition, Paris, 1982–1983 (unrealized)
  • Bad Sares, Vienna (Austria), 1983–1984
  • Restaurant Kiang I, Vienna (Austria), 1984–1985
  • Housing complex Graz (Austria) Peterstalstrasse, 1985–1992
  • Residential complex on Brunner Strasse, 1986–1991, Vienna (Austria)
  • Trigon Museum, Competition Graz, 1988 (unrealized)
  • Image light, painting between material and immateriality, festival exhibition, Museum of the 20th Century, Vienna, 1991
  • Kawasaki company building, expert assessment, Maria Enzersdorf, Lower Austria, 1st prize, 1992 (unrealized)
  • Doppelhauptschule - Informatik-Mittelschule Kinkplatz, Vienna (Austria), 1992–1993, 1993–1994
  • Thermensiedlung Oberlaa residential complex, Vienna (Austria), 1996, 1997–1999
  • New construction of the main depot in Frankfurt, invited competition, 1993 (unrealized)
  • Expulsion of Reason, Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, Fondaco Marcello, 1993
  • Museo del Prado, competition, 1995–1996 (unrealized)
  • Federal School Center Schärding, Upper Austria, competition, 1996–1997 (unrealized)
  • Restaurant Kiang II, Vienna, Landstrasse Hauptstrasse 50 (Austria), 1996–1997
  • Housing Grundäcker, Vienna (Austria), 1996–1999
  • Sport and Leisure Park Tivoli, competition, Innsbruck, Tyrol, 1997–1998
  • Drinking water treatment plant, Westhoven (Germany)
  • Office building Vienna (Austria), 2008

Awards

literature

  • Franz Wittmann KG (Ed.): Wittmann Furniture Competition 1967, catalog for the exhibition in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, Etsdorf am Kamp, 1967
  • Hans Hollein / Bernhard Hafner: New Concepts from Graz, in: BAU (Vienna), Issue 4, 1969.
  • Helmut Richter: Buildings and Projects. Birkhäuser Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3-7643-5361-9 .
  • B. Lootsma: architectuur als houding. Richter-Gerngrosz: architecture as an attitude . In: Forum voor architectuur en daarmee verbonden kunsten. 4 / 1984-1985, pages 172-175.
  • Richter-Gerngross . In: L'architecture d'aujourd'hui , September 1982, 222, pp. 36-47.
  • H. Richter: Architecture is a matter of character: Gräf-und-Stift-Grund residential development, Vienna. In: Bauwelt . October 37/1988, pp. 1620-1622.
  • Aesthetics in Housing, Part 2. Helmut Richter in conversation with Patricia Zacek: Aesthetics as an ethical problem. in: Architektur & Bauforum , 1991, 147, pp. 5–10.
  • Ute Woltron: Building what is barely possible . In: The Standard . November 22, 2007.
  • Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning (Ed.): A book for Helmut Richter . 2007, ISBN 978-3-9501497-7-7 .
  • Urban planning Vienna (Ed.): All-day secondary school Kinkplatz Vienna 14. In: Projects and concepts. Issue 3, April 1995, ISBN 3-901210-57-1 .
  • Helmut Richter: Bad Sares, Vienna 3, construction time 1983/84. In: UmBau Nr. 8, Vienna, December 1984, pages 77-78. Publisher: ÖGFA , Austrian Society for Architecture.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Architect Helmut Richter died at the age of 73. In: Kleine Zeitung of June 16, 2014.
  2. ↑ The ingenious architect of "hand tailored tech" . Brigitte Groihofer in: Architektur & Bauforum on June 24, 2014
  3. ^ Walter Chramosta, Helmut Richter: Buildings and Projects . Birkhäuser Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3-7643-5361-9 .
  4. ^ Walter Chramosta, Helmut Richter: Buildings and Projects . Birkhäuser Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3-7643-5361-9 , p. 34.
  5. ↑ Helmut Richter: Architecture is a matter of character: residential development Gräf-und-Stift-Grund, Vienna . In: Bauwelt. No. 37, October 1988, pp. 1620-1622.
  6. ^ Walter Chramosta, Helmut Richter: Buildings and Projects . Birkhäuser Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3-7643-5361-9 .
  7. ^ Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning: A book for Helmut Richter . 2007, ISBN 978-3-9501497-7-7 , p. 29.
  8. ↑ Helmut Richter: Nothing matters . Christian Kühn: In: Die Presse July 4, 2014.
  9. ^ Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning: A book for Helmut Richter . 2007, ISBN 978-3-9501497-7-7 , p. 9.
  10. ↑ [1] Middle School Kinkplatz on www.mein Bezirk.at, accessed on June 26, 2020
  11. ^ Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning: A book for Helmut Richter . 2007, ISBN 978-3-9501497-7-7 , p. 44.
  12. ↑ Markus Kristan, architectural historian Albertina Vienna: Helmut Richter's IT secondary school in Vienna-Kinkplatz is threatened with demolition. accessed on March 14, 2013
  13. ↑ Build what is just possible . In: Der Standard November 22, 2007.
  14. ^ Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning: A book for Helmut Richter . 2007, ISBN 978-3-9501497-7-7 , p. 7.
  15. ^ Walter Chramosta, Helmut Richter: Buildings and projects , page 34. Birkhäuser Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3-7643-5361-9 .
  16. ↑ Entry of the building on nextroom.at
  17. ↑ Kinkplatz: Schools are closed forever. July 4, 2019, accessed July 5, 2019 .
  18. ↑ Chronicle: Off for school in "Architectural Icon". In: orf.at. July 4, 2019, accessed July 5, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Judge, Helmut
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian architect
DATE OF BIRTH June 13, 1941
PLACE OF BIRTH Graz
DATE OF DEATH 15th June 2014
Place of death Vienna