Art as Architecture

Half a century after its consecration, the Church of the Holy Trinity on Georgenberg is still one of the most unusual sacred buildings in Vienna. Once the subject of fierce controversy, the building is now an established cultural monument that inspires reflection on fundamental issues of architectural design.

The basis for the construction of the church was a design by artist Fritz Wotruba, a world-famous sculptor with whom architect Fritz Gerhard Mayr worked closely, translating his vision into an architectural structure comprising 152 irregularly arranged concrete blocks. The construction proved extremely complicated due to the unusual dimensions of the blocks and the specifications for the surface texture of the concrete. To make matters more complicated, Fritz Wotruba died unexpectedly before the church was completed – especially as he had not intended to finalise the design of the windows and the entrance until the construction was well underway. This, along with other artistic decisions regarding the church’s interior, left numerous questions unanswered, providing insights into the process of producing art and architecture.

With:
Sonja Pisarik, Az W; Gabriele Stöger-Spevak, Belvedere, Vienna, Fritz Wotruba Estate

Moderated by:
Suzanne Kříženecký, Az W