Hans Hollein

Hans Hollein (1934-2014) was an important Austrian architect, winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1985. Considered a leading exponent of the European post-modernist movement for his attention to detail and his eclectic style rich in historical references, Hollein was also and above all a great master in the modulation of spaces and volumes. A characteristic well exemplified by what is considered his masterpiece, the Abteiberg Museum in Mönchengladbach (1972-82), a large complex raised like a modern acropolis that resolves itself in a dialogue between different spaces, some open and usable also by passers-by and others closed and reserved for visitors. A key role in his inspiration is played by his youthful formative years in the United States, where he also had the opportunity to be a student of Ludwig Mes van der Rohe and to perfect many of the key concepts that he would later disseminate in his long years of teaching at various prestigious universities, including the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, where he was both professor and dean. One type of building on which he worked a lot is that for commercial use, from the small Retti candle shop (1964-65), his first work, to the Haas-Haus shopping complex in Vienna (1985-90) with its striking façade. In the 1980s he also tried his hand at the role of furniture designer, creating projects for small radical avant-garde brands such as Memphis and Poltronova.