Work presentation by Wolf D. Prix

“Coop Himmelb(l)au is not a colour but an idea of having architecture with fantasy, as buoyant and variable as clouds.”

In the series ‘Austrian Architects Building Abroad, Foreign Architects Building in Austria’, Wolf D. Prix is presenting those projects currently being realised by Coop Himmelb(l)au outside Austria. In particular: the Akron Art Museum of Ohio/USA (2001-2006), the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich/D (1992/2002-2005), the Munich BMW World, Munich/D (2001-2006) and the Musée des Confluences in Lyon/F (2001-2007).

The studio’s philosophy, which was formulated in conceptual work and avant-garde style projects during the 1960s, began to manifest itself in buildings outside Austria with the museum in Groningen (1993-1994) and the UFA Cinema Center Dresden (1993-1998).

“We our harvesting the fruits of our suffering” is how Wolf D. Prix, whose declared idols remain the Rolling Stones, refers to the intensive planning and construction work being undertaken at the moment by what is clearly currently Austria’s most active and best known architecture export: s Coop Himmelb(l)au.