Kerzengeschaft Retti Wien, Osterreich 1964-1965
Context
The candle store Retti is the first realized project of the Austrian Pritzker Prize winner Hans Hollein. In 1956 he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, where he was in the master school of Clemens Holzmeister. Shortly after, the young architect was commissioned to design the Retti candle store at Kohlmarkt 8-10 in the center of Vienna.
Hollein's career was clearly influenced by the Viennese context, but especially by the architect Adolf Loos, who was not so extensively published at the time. His unusual designs and attitude to architecture made a strong impression on Hollein. Tue spatial proximity of some projects also underlines the dialogue with the architectural context. Tue Looshaus (1910) and the Manz Library (1912) are already located on Kohlmarkt. Hollein gets the opportunity to shape the street with his idea of architecture through the Retti (1966), Schullin II (1982) and later also through the square design ofthe Michaelerplatz (1991).
Like a casket, the candle store is placed in a typical Viennese building designed by Ludwig Tischler (1875) and occupies its origina! entrance.
Documentation
Thecarefully staged presentation of what is brought to the public is strongly noticed in the small candle store. Except for a graphic of the conquest of infinite space and an axonometric representation from diagonally above, there are no published plan documents. Tue relationship of the facade to the street space is never addressed, nor are there sections, floor plans, or elevations. Hollein also determines what is shown and what is not during construction. An iconic photograph illustrates the construction fence designed by Hollein to keep out the gazes of curious passersby. What is shared with the public are the stunning photographs by Austrian artist Franz Hubmann that portray the interior and exterior spaces. This gives one the opportunity to immerse oneself in the project, to experience the unfamiliar materials and to soak up the atmosphere of the space. Hollein then submits these prints for the Reynols Memoria! Award in 1966, which he unexpectedly wins. This later opened several doors for him and allowed him to obtain further commissions including the Feigen Gallery, Schullin I and Schullin IL Even when submitting the planning documents to the City ofVienna, the young architect is very frugal with the information. In a later conversation, he affirmed his concern about the permission to build his project due to the unusual materiality and form at that time. This was the reason he gave for the high construction fence and the spartan plan documents.
Graphic elaboration
The architectural concept can be summarized by the following guiding ideas:
What is architecture?
One candle is enough
defined narrowness vs undefined infinity
reality vs fantasy
Architecture is everything!
Taking off the ideals
Urban scale
In the graphic revision of the representation of the facade, care was taken to locate the project, which is always shown out of context. It is through the surroundings that one can see the scale of the store and how it can get lost in the street space. By depicting the entire block, the reference to the surrounding buildings is established.
Architectural scale
Working up the floor plan, sections and elevations allows an objective, neutral and also informed view of the proj ect.
Interpretative representations
Care was taken to reveal new perspectives. Tue topography of the ceiling as opposed to Hans Hollein's top view perspective and also the spatial sequence are thereby revealed.
Supervisors
De Chiffre, Eder, Krenn
Context
The candle store Retti is the first realized project of the Austrian Pritzker Prize winner Hans Hollein. In 1956 he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, where he was in the master school of Clemens Holzmeister. Shortly after, the young architect was commissioned to design the Retti candle store at Kohlmarkt 8-10 in the center of Vienna.
Hollein's career was clearly influenced by the Viennese context, but especially by the architect Adolf Loos, who was not so extensively published at the time. His unusual designs and attitude to architecture made a strong impression on Hollein. Tue spatial proximity of some projects also underlines the dialogue with the architectural context. Tue Looshaus (1910) and the Manz Library (1912) are already located on Kohlmarkt. Hollein gets the opportunity to shape the street with his idea of architecture through the Retti (1966), Schullin II (1982) and later also through the square design ofthe Michaelerplatz (1991).
Like a casket, the candle store is placed in a typical Viennese building designed by Ludwig Tischler (1875) and occupies its origina! entrance.
Documentation
Thecarefully staged presentation of what is brought to the public is strongly noticed in the small candle store. Except for a graphic of the conquest of infinite space and an axonometric representation from diagonally above, there are no published plan documents. Tue relationship of the facade to the street space is never addressed, nor are there sections, floor plans, or elevations. Hollein also determines what is shown and what is not during construction. An iconic photograph illustrates the construction fence designed by Hollein to keep out the gazes of curious passersby. What is shared with the public are the stunning photographs by Austrian artist Franz Hubmann that portray the interior and exterior spaces. This gives one the opportunity to immerse oneself in the project, to experience the unfamiliar materials and to soak up the atmosphere of the space. Hollein then submits these prints for the Reynols Memoria! Award in 1966, which he unexpectedly wins. This later opened several doors for him and allowed him to obtain further commissions including the Feigen Gallery, Schullin I and Schullin IL Even when submitting the planning documents to the City ofVienna, the young architect is very frugal with the information. In a later conversation, he affirmed his concern about the permission to build his project due to the unusual materiality and form at that time. This was the reason he gave for the high construction fence and the spartan plan documents.
Graphic elaboration
The architectural concept can be summarized by the following guiding ideas:
What is architecture?
One candle is enough
defined narrowness vs undefined infinity
reality vs fantasy
Architecture is everything!
Taking off the ideals
Urban scale
In the graphic revision of the representation of the facade, care was taken to locate the project, which is always shown out of context. It is through the surroundings that one can see the scale of the store and how it can get lost in the street space. By depicting the entire block, the reference to the surrounding buildings is established.
Architectural scale
Working up the floor plan, sections and elevations allows an objective, neutral and also informed view of the proj ect.
Interpretative representations
Care was taken to reveal new perspectives. Tue topography of the ceiling as opposed to Hans Hollein's top view perspective and also the spatial sequence are thereby revealed.
Supervisors
De Chiffre, Eder, Krenn
