After successful completion of the course, students are able to work on a design task by using the concept of space and the understanding of spatial correlations as the starting point of the problem of architectural design. They will learn to critically deal with basic questions of museum space, in particular by comprehending a specific context and the resulting questions about how to deal with the location, the inventory, and the history of culture and urban construction. They will be able to derive appropriate design principles through scientifically and methodically based research on historical and contemporary exhibition spaces and to adopt them for their own design work. They will be able to comprehensively present and represent their project concepts in the form of draft designs and detailed plans.

Exhibit Frank

“How does one enter the garden? What should a path to the main door look like? What form should an anteroom (entryway) have? How does one proceed from the anteroom past the cloak closet and into the living room? How should a sitting area be positioned in relation to a door or window? So many questions are there that must be answered and from these elements a house arises. That is modern architecture” Josef Frank, The House as Path and Place.

Like a city, a house should consist of spatial sequences: streets, alleys, and squares that interlock through a continuous guided route. When one moves through the space, distinct areas open to form various spatial experiences. With his architectural concepts, Frank took a very independent stance within Viennese Modernism and positioned himself firmly against the rigid functionalist dogmas of the time.

Some of his concepts and views were implemented in the Beer House. Built for the rubber industrialist Julius Beer between 1929 and 1931 by Josef Frank in collaboration with Oskar Wlach, the house is one of the most important works of Viennese Modernism of the 1920s and '30s and one of Frank's main works. The Beer House has been vacant for several years. Several institutions and initiatives are calling for the building to be preserved and made accessible to the public.

In order to preserve the building, to open it to the public as an exhibit, and to simultaneously develop, frame, use, and manage it, spaces are required that suggest an accessory building. The class project is, therefore, the planning of a museum complex for the preservation, development, and viewing of the Beer House. Furthermore, the accessory building should serve as a place for contemporary reflection on modern architecture in Vienna and Austria. In doing so, reference should be made to the architecture of Josef Frank, its thematic elaboration and research as well as its exhibitability.

Theoretical basics and analyses of selected historical and contemporary examples form the beginning of the design exercise. Working individually or in pairs, students will develop their draft designs exclusively on the basis of physical working models and sketches. The working model will be used as a design tool with which to examine and develop various design topics.

Further Information

DATES

Introduction:    Friday, 5 March 2021 - 10:00 a.m. Zoom Link will be posted here soon. 

Critical Evaluation of Concept: Friday, 19 March 2021

Mid-term Evaluation:    Friday, 7 May 2021

Final Presentation:       Friday, 18 June 2021

Design discussions will be held on Fridays (or if required by the size of the groups, additionally on Mondays) from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.

Participation is required for the design discussions.

Registrations with a portfolio are preferred.

Subject to change of dates.

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If, due to the requirements of the Federal Government or the TU Wien, it becomes impossible to hold the class, the examination, and/or the class meetings on site, the class will move online. If this happens, the announced dates for the class lectures and examinations (part performances) may change. If the class moves online, the following methods and modes will apply: 

Method when moving online: 

The course will be held online via Zoom or GoToMeeting. 

Exam mode when moving online: 

Evaluation will be continuous even if the class moves online. The final presentation will be carried out on Zoom. Student work will be submitted in both analogue and digital form.

Assessment model for the online exam: both analogue and digital submissions and presentations will be assessed.

Required technical equipment for participation in the course and examination: stable internet access, Zoom or GoToMeeting.

Continuous Assessment