11.01.2019

Friday January 11, 2019 | 2:00pm – 6:00pm
HS V | Alte Technik | Graz University of Technology

The Institute of Architectural Theory, History of Art and Cultural Studies invites you to the third research lab in a series of events addressing the work of Ferdinand Schuster (1920 – 1972). Beginning in the 1950s, Schuster was one of the leading thinkers of modern architecture in Styria. In his theoretical reflections on architecture, he considered the cultural, social and political dimensions of building. As of 1964 Schuster was Chair of Architecture and Design at the Technical College of Graz, and as such was also a teacher to an entire generation of Graz architecture students.

Research Lab #3 is dedicated to the housing projects in Ferdinand Schuster’s work. As an employee of a planning department at Böhlerwerke Kapfenberg Schuster initially produced prototype designs for factory worker duplex housing, which were executed in the Redfeld district in 1950. From then on housing became an integral part of his work. Some examples: suburban row house estates in Krieglach (completed 1954) and Kapfenberg-Redfeld (1959), as well as studies for prefabricated worker housing (1954), four-family houses (Krieglach, 1957), apartment housing (1960) and single-family housing (1957/Kapfenberg), some of which were realized. Schuster furthermore worked at an urban scale in his designs for entire districts, most of which are found in Kapfenberg (such as Schirmitzbühel or Walfersam). His later work – including the known examples of the Sagacker Home for the Single (1972) and the Walfersam residential complex (completed posthumously in 1974) in Kapfenberg – shows specific urban qualities in its turn towards larger residential structures.

Welcome and moderation:
Daniel Gethmann (Institute of Architectural Theory, History of Art and Cultural Studies| TU Graz)

Speakers:
Lorenzo De Chiffre (Institute of Construction and Design| TU Wien)
Hans Gangoly (Institute of Design and Building Typology| TU Graz)
Ulrike Tischler (Institute of Design and Building Typology| TU Graz)
Sophia Walk (Institute of Architectural Theory, History of Art and Cultural Studies | TU Graz)

Commentary:
Sigrid Verhovsek (Institute of Housing| TU Graz)
Kirsten Wagner (Department of Design | Culture and Communication Studies | FH Bielefeld)

Past research labs:
Lab #1 // Industriebrau
Lab #2 // Sakralbau