After successful completion of the course, students are able to recognize the broad spectrum of terminological and methodological aspects based on prominent topics from architectural history and specific research tasks, to develop the ability to answer scientific questions and argumentation strategies, to learn how to deal appropriately with research literature and archival materials as well as improving competence in oral and written presentations. The module sees itself as a contribution to research-based teaching with a practical approach.

Zwischen Cultural Heritage und Eventtourismus

Eine Architekturgeschichte der Passions- und Festspielkultur 

Scandal artist Jonathan Meese is not allowed to stage Wagner's 'Parsifal'! A Muslim as a disciple in Oberammergau! The Buhlschaft in Salzburg this year with a shaved head! The prestigious Passion and Festival are now always worth a headline in the feature pages. Many of them enjoy world fame and have been attracting international audiences to Salzburg, Erl, Oberammergau or Bayreuth for more than a hundred years. The architecture and art history module this winter semester is dedicated to passion and festival culture and its buildings. Most recently, the avant-garde architecture by Delugan Meissl in Erl (2012) and Coop Himmelb (l) au (2010) in Munich, but also the designs by Zaha Hadid and Karl-Heinz Schommer (2008 and 2004) for the festival house project in Bonn, which was put on hold revealed the great ambitions and demands associated with the buildings.
The tradition of the Christian Passion Play goes back to the medieval mystery plays, but a building tradition of its own only emerged in the early modern period. In the middle of the 19th century, Richard Wagner's ideas about a specific architecture for his operas and Gottfried Semper's subsequent designs set completely new standards. Already at this time, under nationalistic auspices, the identity-creating potential of the festival culture became clear, which was evident in the new foundations and building projects after the end of the Second World War, as well as in the Passion Play bans by the National Socialists and the demolition of the Höritz festival hall in 1966 by the communists. Today every federal state in Austria has its own festival, which is architecturally self-confidently brought to the fore.
However, the seasonal nature of the buildings also raises important questions such as possible interim uses. Economic factors play an even more important role for rural locations than in Salzburg, for example, when tens of thousands of tourists arrive in just a few weeks for the modern event summer freshness. Entire infrastructures with huge parking garages and noble hotel complexes were built for this ephemeral mass tourism. All of these factors have to be taken into account, especially the more recent architectural lighthouse projects since the post-war period - and that as far as possible without impairing the picturesque landscape that is also marketed.

In the „Vertiefung Architekturgeschichte“ seminar, we analyze the genesis of building tasks together with the students using striking examples and shed light on key protagonists of architectural history. The focus for us is on typological characteristics, their changing social significance as well as different design and usage practices, which always offer references to historically changing concepts of urbanity, a social and usage history and the tension between the public and the private sphere. As part of the seminar, the students give presentations on the status of their research work, take part in discussions and work on a seminar paper over the course of the semester; they will be looked after individually in extensive consultation hours.

The course „Projektseminar und Seminarwerkstatt“ is coordinated with the advanced seminar and is intended to enable module participants to deepen their knowledge by working together on background knowledge and to provide a forum for joint discussions on this year's research topic. Together we will discuss basic texts and visit selected historical architectural representations and tracts in archives as part of (virtual) excursions. In addition, the students are supported in transferring the results of their work from the seminar “Deepening Architectural History” to posters and presenting them in a poster exhibition at the end of the semester.

In addition to our range of seminars, we want to highlight and discuss contemporary aspects, questions of monument preservation and current research fields together with invited experts in the lecture series „Aktuelle Tendenzen in der Architektur“.

In the module-accompanying course „Methodologie und Terminologie“, basic scientific working methods, specialist terminology and methodologies of the subject of art history are taught. This provides the participants with preparatory support with regard to the presentations to be given in the advanced seminar and the homework to be written.

(Virtual) excursions, discussions, presentations, seminar work, poster creation

Attendance at the kick-off event of the module on Wednesday, October 6th, 2021, 9:00 am - 11:00 am [online via zoom] is a prerequisite for further participation in the module.

Registration for the module is set up centrally by the dean's office, please note the deadlines for registration and allocation given in the TISS.

The dates and modalities of the individual courses in the module can be found in the respective TISS entries.

The zoom links to the individual events are made available in the corresponding TUWEL courses, to which you will have access after successful registration.

To be on the safe side, you can also find the link to today's meeting here: https://tuwien.zoom.us/j/91358307831?pwd=THB4ODhnWHNnSWZVN2s3cFp6Y2p1Zz09

- Obligation to participate

- Active participation and willingness to discuss

- Lectures, seminar and term papers as well as poster design for an exhibition at the end of the semester