Architecture – Research – Collecting – What For?

What do politicians mean when they call for the preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage? In any case, with the continual expansion of its archives and collection, as well as other associated activities, the Architekturzentrum Wien has fulfilled this political aim, and so become the national centre for academic research in the field of architecture.

The unique research project “Architektenlexikon Wien 1770-1945” (Encyclopaedia of Architects in Vienna 1770–1945), the first results of which were recently posted for viewing in the www.azw.at online database, is also being carried out in this context. Which is good reason at last to address thoroughly the issue of the socio-political necessity for research and the collecting of material relating to architecture.

What is the policy for the collection of individual architecture archives in Austria and elsewhere, where do they have their focus, what research is currently being commissioned and what are the aims being pursued? Who uses them and to what extent has the demand for fast, easily accessible findings changed due to the digitization of the archives?

The Panel:
Friedmund Hueber, docomomo Austria, c/o Ludwig Boltzmann DAB-Institut für Denkmalpflege und archäologische Bauforschung (for conservation and archaeological architecture research)
Wolfgang Kos, Wien Museum Karlsplatz
Monika Knofler, Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Kupferstichkabinett
Monika Platzer, Architekturzentrum Wien
Inge Scheidl, Architekturzentrum Wien, Architektenlexikon

Moderated by:
Dietmar Steiner, Architekturzentrum Wien