What’s the Donauturm Doing in Baghdad?

Architecture has always been used to convey specific values and to strengthen national identity. In the 1950s, for example, the 73-metre-high Ringturm on the Danube Canal was a symbol of Austria’s orientation towards the West, its reconstruction and a market economy. The television tower in Baghdad, designed by Austrian architect Hannes Lintl, was also intended to give the city a modern cosmopolitan image. The exhibition ‘Global — Neutral’ shows projects by Austrian architects in Africa and Asia at the time of decolonisation — and asks how these buildings shape their surroundings. We also reflect on how Austria presents itself today. The Vienna Secession features on coins — which building or project would you choose today?