Helmut Swiczinsky

Helmut Swiczinsky (13 January 1944 – 29 July 2025) was an Austrian architect.^[1]^[2]

Life and career

Swiczinsky was born in Poznań on 13 January 1944. He studied architecture at the Vienna University of Technology and the Architectural Association in London.^[3]

He founded the Viennese group of architects Coop Himmelb(l)au together with Wolf Dieter Prix and Michael Holzer in 1968. This company is known worldwide for its spectacular buildings. As a major member of this office Swiczinsky designed a lot of deconstructivist projects. In 2000 he stepped down as managing director and left the company in 2006 as partner.^[4]^[5]

In 1973 he was a visiting professor at the Architectural Association in London.^[3] Swiczinsky was a permanent member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts based in Salzburg.^[6]

Swiczinsky died following a long illness on 29 July 2025, at the age of 81.^[7]

Memberships

Swiczinsky was a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.^[2]

Awards

Together with his architecture colleague Prix he received, among other awards:

Schelling Architekturpreis 1992^[8]
the German Architecture Prize (Deutscher Architekturpreis) 1999^[9]
the Great Austrian State Prize 2000^[10]
the European Steel Award 2001
Decoration of honor for services to the State of Vienna 2002^[11]

Exhibitions

Among other exhibitions that Swiczinsky staged were:

1968 Villa Rosa Vienna, Austria^[12]
2012: Coop Himmelb(l)au: 7+, Architekturforum Aedes, Berlin^[12]
2015: Exhibition about Coop Himmelb(l)au in the German Architecture Museum (DAM), Frankfurt, Germany

Literature

Among other books that Swiczinsky wrote were:

Kristin Feireiss; Jürgen Commerell: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. The Vienna Trilogy + One Cinema. Three Residential Buildings in Vienna and a Cinema in Dresden. Berlin 1999
Peter Noever: Gerald Zugmann - Blue Universe. Transforming Models into Pictures. Architectural Projects by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit 2002
Martina Kandeler-Fritsch, Thomas Kramer: Get Off of My Cloud. Wolf D. Prix. Coop Himmelb(l)au. Texte 1968-2005. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit 2005
Kristin Feireiss: Dynamic Forces. COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. BMW Welt München. Prestel Verlag, München, Berlin, London, New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-7913-3875-0.
Peter Noever: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Beyond the Blue. Prestel, München / Berlin / London / New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-7913-3962-7.
Sylvia Lavin: Central Los Angeles Area High school #9 for the visual and performing arts, HS#9 / CoopHimmelb(l)au. Essay. (Text: Karolin Schmidbaur); Prestel, München / Berlin / London / New York 2010, ISBN 978-3-7913-4433-1.

Buildings and Projects with the Participation of Helmut Swiczinsky

Among other projects that Swiczinsky undertook were:

Villa Rosa, Vienna, 1968
Wolke, Vienna, 1968
Reiss Bar, Vienna, 1977
Flammenflügel, Technische Universität Graz, happening 9 December 1980, 8.35 pm^[13]
Roter Engel, Vienna, 1981
Rooftop Remodeling Falkestrasse, Vienna, Austria, 1988^[14]
FunderMax, Sankt Veit an der Glan, Österreich, 1988/1989
Groninger Museum: Pavillon Bildende Kunst, Groningen, Netherlands, 1994
Ufa-Kristallpalast auf der Dresden, 1998
SEG Apartment Tower, Vienna, Austria, 1998
SEG Apartment Block Remise, Vienna, 2000
Gasometer B, Vienna, 2001
Expo.02: Forum Arteplage, Biel/Bienne, Suisse 2002
Wettbewerbsbeitrag (2. Preis) for the Egyptian Museum, Kairo, Egypt
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, 2005
Büro- und Wohnanlage Schlachthausgasse, Vienna, 2005
Akron Art Museum, Akron (Ohio), USA, 2007
Centro Cultural JVC und Restaurant Mosku, Guadalajara, Mexico
BMW Welt, Munich, Germany, 2007^[15]
Central Los Angeles Area High School #9, Los Angeles, Kalifornia, United States, 2008
Seat of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany
Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France^[16]

References

↑ "Coop Himmelb(l)au". sculptureinternationalrotterdam.nl. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
1 2 "Helmut Swiczinsky". kettererkunst.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
1 2 "Helmut Swiczinsky 1944 Posnan". art-directory.info. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
↑ Overstreet, Kaley (15 November 2020). "The Early Days and the Enduring Legacy of Coop Himmelb(l)au". archdaily.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
↑ Zukowsky, John. "Coop Himmelblau, European architectural firm". britannica.com (in German). Retrieved 8 November 2021.
↑ "Helmut Swiczinsky ist 60" [Helmut Swiczinsky is 60]. wienerzeitung.at (in German). 19 January 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
↑ Im Duo zu Weltruhm: Coop-Himmelblau-Architekt Helmut Swiczinsky ist tot (in German)
↑ "Coop Himmelb(l)au". hmongwiki.de (in German). Retrieved 30 December 2021.
↑ "0 5 . 1 . 1 BUILT PEDAGOGY" (PDF). archive.abp.unimelb.edu.au (in German). Retrieved 30 December 2021.
↑ "Helmut Swiczinsky". austria-forum.org. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
↑ Faymann, Werner (13 December 2002). "Faymann: Coop Himmelb(l)au entwickelt den Wohnbau Wiens weiter" [Faymann: Coop Himmelb(l)au is further developing residential construction in Vienna]. ots.at (in German). Retrieved 8 November 2021.
1 2 "Coop Himmelb(l)au" [Coop sky blue]. german-architects.com (in German). Retrieved 8 November 2021.
↑ "Coop Himmelblau Architektur muss brennen" (PDF). monoskop.org (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2023.
↑ Dachausbau Falkestrasse auf nextroom.at
↑ "BMW Welt". muenchenarchitektur.com (in German). 2 November 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
↑ "Helmut Swiczinsky Wien (A)" [Helmut Swiczinsky Vienna (A)]. nextroom.at (in German). 24 January 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2021.

External links

Literature by and about Helmut Swiczinsky in the German National Library catalogue
Helmut Swiczinsky at archINFORM
Coop Himmelb(l)au-Website
WOLF PRIX, COOP HIMMELB(L)AU: "Architecture is YES!"
Mittagsjournal 1995.06.03
Coop Himmelblau, Wien; Offene Architektur / Open Architecture
Authority data (person): GND: 119305712 | LCCN: nr92000305 | VIAF: 15031103 | Wikipedia people search

[1] "Coop Himmelb(l)au". sculptureinternationalrotterdam.nl. Retrieved 9 November 2021.

[kk-2] 1 2 "Helmut Swiczinsky". kettererkunst.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[a-d1-3] 1 2 "Helmut Swiczinsky 1944 Posnan". art-directory.info. Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[4] Overstreet, Kaley (15 November 2020). "The Early Days and the Enduring Legacy of Coop Himmelb(l)au". archdaily.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[5] Zukowsky, John. "Coop Himmelblau, European architectural firm". britannica.com (in German). Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[6] "Helmut Swiczinsky ist 60" [Helmut Swiczinsky is 60]. wienerzeitung.at (in German). 19 January 2004. Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[7] Im Duo zu Weltruhm: Coop-Himmelblau-Architekt Helmut Swiczinsky ist tot (in German)

[8] "Coop Himmelb(l)au". hmongwiki.de (in German). Retrieved 30 December 2021.

[9] "0 5 . 1 . 1 BUILT PEDAGOGY" (PDF). archive.abp.unimelb.edu.au (in German). Retrieved 30 December 2021.

[10] "Helmut Swiczinsky". austria-forum.org. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.

[11] Faymann, Werner (13 December 2002). "Faymann: Coop Himmelb(l)au entwickelt den Wohnbau Wiens weiter" [Faymann: Coop Himmelb(l)au is further developing residential construction in Vienna]. ots.at (in German). Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[ga1-12] 1 2 "Coop Himmelb(l)au" [Coop sky blue]. german-architects.com (in German). Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[13] "Coop Himmelblau Architektur muss brennen" (PDF). monoskop.org (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2023.

[14] Dachausbau Falkestrasse auf nextroom.at

[15] "BMW Welt". muenchenarchitektur.com (in German). 2 November 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2023.

[16] "Helmut Swiczinsky Wien (A)" [Helmut Swiczinsky Vienna (A)]. nextroom.at (in German). 24 January 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2021.

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