The county of Lower Austria, formerly the countryside surrounding Vienna, has undergone a step-by-step emancipation during the 20th century that has quite recently culminated with the selection of St. Polten as its capital (replacing Vienna). And, consequentially, this has necessitated the construction of an appropriate government quarter. The region, marked by suburban sprawl and industrial zones, was considered an architectural wasteland until just recently. During the past couple of years, however, several buildings have been erected that need not shy away from the international comparison. Well-known architects such as Coop Himmelb(l)au, Hermann Czech, Ernst Hiesmayr, Hans Hollein, Klaus Kada, Adolf Krischanitz, Laudris Ortner, Gustav Peichl, Boris Podrecca, Elsa Prochazka, Anton Schweighofer, Karla Szyszkowitz & Michael Kowalski, and Heinz Tesar have, with one or several buildings, made a first mark in Lower Austria. Also, younger architects, mainly from Lower Austria, have created sensible buildings of a high design quality and technical perfection. Among them are: Ernst Beneder, Walter Ifsits, Paul Katzberger & Karin Bily, Adolph H. Kelz, Gerhard Lindner, Michael Loudon, Elena & Alois Neururer, Rudolf Prohazka and Franziska Ullmann. And a new generation of young architects has already completed its journeyman's work and is ready to join the ranks.
The interesting and positive development of the architectural culture since the middle of the 1980s, which is enjoying official support through an increasing number of competitions and the introduction of design councils in Lower Austrian towns, is documented in this book by approximately 100 buildings completed in the past decade. An essay by the architectural critic Otto Kapfinger and texts by Walter Zschokke discuss the buildings and show the connections. The well-known Vienna architectural photographer, Margherita Spiluttini, and the young photograph, Rupert Steiner, have shot numerous black and white photographs for this volume. Enhanced by selected plans, this is a condensed portrait of a region undergoing an architectural ascent. The work of the independent association ORTE – architekturnetzwerk niederosterreich has contributed considerably to the improved architectural-cultural climate.
