Hermann Czech
An Architect in Vienna
Hermann Czech, born in 1936, is one of Austria’s most eminent and influential architects and theorists. This influence is based not only on his work as a designing architect, which extends to furniture, interiors, and exhibitions. Czech is also widely admired just as much for his writings on architectural theory and as the editor and translator of classics of architectural history, including texts by Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, Josef Frank, and Christopher Alexander, among others.
This book is the long-awaited updated and expanded English edition of the only full monograph on Hermann Czech to date. First published in German in 2018, it goes far beyond a mere presentation of an architecture practice’s buildings and projects. The first part traces what links Czech’s work to the approaches of Viennese modernism. The second part explores Czech’s biography and the trajectory of his career, analyzing as well the contemporary influences that shape his thinking and designs. The third part features selected buildings and unrealized projects, setting forth also Czech’s numerous references and underlying reflections. A complete index of his buildings, projects, and writings, an essay by Vienna-based philosopher Elisabeth Nemeth on the relationship between architecture and philosophy in Czech’s work, and an introduction by architectural historian Liane Lefaivre round off this volume.
«Diese Monografie kann nicht alleine auf das Genre Architekturbuch beschränkt werden, sondern lässt sich auch als Stadt- und Kulturführer von Wien lesen. Die Texte sind so informativ wie kurzweilig, und auch die neu erstellten Fotos von Gabriele Kaiser sind nicht nur auf Effekte aus, sondern dokumentieren vielmehr die menschlichen Seiten dieser Architektur, die mir einem grösstmöglichen Selbstverständnis und sofortiger Identifikation einhergeht.» Frank F. Drewes, Bauwelt