Marienlift
The Marienlift in Graz was an art installation from 2003 to October 2007 by the Styrian artist and cultural bureaucrat Richard Kriesche .
The 18-meter-high cable elevator with a glazed shaft and glass cabin was built a little east of the Marian Column at the Iron Gate in Graz city center on the occasion of Graz's cultural capital year 2003. It was intended to enable visitors to see the gilded Madonna "at eye level" for a small fee (1 euro). to meet. There was an elevated view of the Herrengasse – Hauptplatz –Sackstraße line of sight. The height only reached about the ridge height of the low buildings south of the Opernring, the point of view was significantly lower than all the nearby houses.
The lift shaft, which is essentially opaque in the lower area, created an obstacle to view between pedestrians who are about to step east from the south-facing lift portal about two steps from the park around the pond and the Marian column onto the bike path that runs only about 50 cm east of the tower and the one from here Cyclists arriving on the left and passing at the foot of the stairs. The signposted cycle path is traditionally used by pedestrians, and is tolerated by the police and socially, while the police repeatedly punish cyclists in the pedestrian zone to the north from Hans-Sachsgasse. There was no evidence of any kind, such as floor markings for the arriving pedestrians
Only the second suggestion - made by a cycling activist from the ARGUS cycling lobby to a police officer on site, who acknowledged the reference to the danger spot with " Something must be done" - resulted in a guardrail (with a 2nd pipe halfway Height) to block pedestrian traffic at the top of the stairs. With the dismantling of the lift, the railing was also removed and pedestrians can re-enter the cycle path here. Inline skaters move legally on both of the adjoining traffic areas.
After a total of 83,295 trips, the passenger elevator was sold to the 'Stadtwerke Hartberg ' in Styria due to a sharp drop in visitor numbers and a corresponding increase in deficits by 40,000 euros . The city of Graz decided to sell the lift, which was intended as a "temporary work of art", in 2006 - without consulting Richard Kriesche, who subsequently branded the sale of the lift as "disregard for the citizens themselves" and instead of selling it pleaded for the dismantling of the artifact and its return to the elevator manufacturer.
Kriesche's one-cabin elevator was installed on the grounds of the Hartberg municipal utility's ecopark over a 20-meter-high metal frame. The 38 meter high structure, which can be entered from the top floor of the so-called Leaning Office Tower (Office Tower II ) or used as a viewing lift, is called the "Weltblicklift".
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gläserner Lift - Marienlift - Perspektivenwechsel , archive site www.graz03.at , accessed on July 15, 2010
- ^ Umzug , steiermark.orf.at , October 15, 2007, accessed on July 15, 2010
- ↑ Sold , steiermark.orf.at , December 14, 2006, accessed on July 15, 2010
- ^ Artist R. Kriesche , steiermark.orf.at , December 15, 2006, accessed on July 15, 2010
- ^ After sale , steiermark.orf.at , August 1, 2007, accessed on July 15, 2010
- ↑ "Blick in die Welt" with Weltblicklift , www.oekopark.at , accessed on July 15, 2010
Coordinates: 47 ° 4 ′ 6 ″ N , 15 ° 26 ′ 31 ″ E