Special Topics in Architecture
ao. Univ. Prof. Arch. Mag. arch. Anton Falkeis
The MELK_contemporary project is about reconfiguration, transformation and finally substituting the original aim and program of a large scale historical building with a contemporary building complex. It is about transposing in terms of re-scripting and converting the grandeur to a level that is different from the one in which it was originally written.
The focus of analysis will be the Melk monastery.
Melk has been a spiritual and cultural center for more than 1000 years, first as a castle for the Babenbergs, from 1089 to the present as a Benedictine monastery. In the course of the monastery's history, members of the Melk monastic community have achieved significant success in the fields of natural sciences and the arts. Since the 12th century valuable manuscripts have been collected and created in the renowned library, and a school has been founded. Since its beginnings Melk has been an important intellectual and spiritual center.
Visual evidence of the monastery's importance during the Baroque is exemplified in the magnificent building. This was built between 1702 and 1736 following plans by Jakob Prandtauer (1660-1726). He spent his last 25 years planning and building the Melk project.
The aim of this research based project is to place the original in opposition to a contemporary solution in terms of program, building design, technology and materiality up to the level of obtaining building permission and finance. The project will show the difference in design-approach, architectural solutions and the acceptance of large scale projects in terms of politics.
The MELK_contemporary project will be conducted as a comprehensive studio with specific contributions to particular as well as more global problems, from e.g. a structural approach to the genuine "problem of large".
Architectural research will cover:
- - Large scale historical buildings
- - Megastructures
- - Contemporary large scale buildings
Additional research work will focus on:
- - Economic and Finance
- - Maneuvering through Building Permissions process
- - Conceptual Argumentation
- - Possible Realities
The program will consist of two parts: research and project
Credits: 16 ECTS
Kick off meeting: March 4, 2:00 pm, Seminarraum B, DG
MELK_contemporary lecture series
radical baroque
Matthias Boeckl, March 26, 1:00 pm, HS5
architecture & politics
Wolfdieter Dreibholz, April 15, 3:00 pm, SRA
megastructures
Anton Falkeis, April 29, 2:00 pm, HS5
where does the money come from
Holger Hagge, May 27, 2:00 pm, SRA
large scale structure
Klaus Bollinger, June 02, 2:00 pm, SRA
Special Topics in Architecture, Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Anton Falkeis, ao. Univ.-Prof. Arch. Mag.arch