Helmut Swiczinsky

Helmut Swiczinsky (13 January 1944 – 29 July 2025) was an Austrian architect.^[1][2]

Swiczinsky in 2010

Life and career

Swiczinsky was born in Poznań on 13 January 1944. He studied architecture at the Vienna University of Technology and the Architectural Association in London.^[3]

He founded the Viennese group of architects Coop Himmelb(l)au together with Wolf Dieter Prix and Michael Holzer in 1968. This company is known worldwide for its spectacular buildings. As a major member of this office Swiczinsky designed a lot of deconstructivist projects. In 2000 he left the company as managing director and in 2006 as partner.^[4][5]

In 1973 he was a visiting professor at the Architectural Association in London.^[3] Swiczinsky was a permanent member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts based in Salzburg.^[6]

Swiczinsky died following a long illness on 29 July 2025, at the age of 81.^[7]

Memberships

Swiczinsky was a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.^[2]

Awards

Together with his architecture colleague Prix he received, among other awards:

• Schelling Architekturpreis 1992^[8]
• the German Architecture Prize (Deutscher Architekturpreis) 1999^[9]
• the Great Austrian State Prize 2000^[10]
• the European Steel Award 2001
• Decoration of honor for services to the State of Vienna 2002^[11]

Exhibitions

Among other exhibitions that Swiczinsky staged were:

• 1968 Villa Rosa Vienna, Austria^[12]
• 2012: Coop Himmelb(l)au: 7+, Architekturforum Aedes, Berlin^[12]
• 2015: Exhibition about Coop Himmelb(l)au in the German Architecture Museum (DAM), Frankfurt, Germany

Literature

Among other books that Swiczinsky wrote were:

• Kristin Feireiss; Jürgen Commerell: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. The Vienna Trilogy + One Cinema. Three Residential Buildings in Vienna and a Cinema in Dresden. Berlin 1999
• Peter Noever: Gerald Zugmann - Blue Universe. Transforming Models into Pictures. Architectural Projects by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit 2002
• Martina Kandeler-Fritsch, Thomas Kramer: Get Off of My Cloud. Wolf D. Prix. Coop Himmelb(l)au. Texte 1968-2005. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit 2005
• Kristin Feireiss: Dynamic Forces. COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. BMW Welt München. Prestel Verlag, München, Berlin, London, New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-7913-3875-0.
• Peter Noever: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Beyond the Blue. Prestel, München / Berlin / London / New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-7913-3962-7.
• Sylvia Lavin: Central Los Angeles Area High school #9 for the visual and performing arts, HS#9 / CoopHimmelb(l)au. Essay. (Text: Karolin Schmidbaur); Prestel, München / Berlin / London / New York 2010, ISBN 978-3-7913-4433-1.

Buildings and Projects with the Participation of Helmut Swiczinsky

UFA-Palast Prager Straße, Dresden

BMW Welt, Munich

Swiczinsky in 2010

Among other projects that Swiczinsky undertook were:

• Villa Rosa, Vienna, 1968
• Wolke, Vienna, 1968
• Reiss Bar, Vienna, 1977
• Flammenflügel, Technische Universität Graz, happening 9 December 1980, 8.35 pm^[13]
• Roter Engel, Vienna, 1981
• Rooftop Remodeling Falkestrasse, Vienna, Austria, 1988^[14]
• FunderMax, Sankt Veit an der Glan, Österreich, 1988/1989
• Groninger Museum: Pavillon Bildende Kunst, Groningen, Netherlands, 1994
• Ufa-Kristallpalast auf der Dresden, 1998
• SEG Apartment Tower, Vienna, Austria, 1998
• SEG Apartment Block Remise, Vienna, 2000
• Gasometer B, Vienna, 2001
• Expo.02: Forum Arteplage, Biel/Bienne, Suisse 2002
• Wettbewerbsbeitrag (2. Preis) for the Egyptian Museum, Kairo, Egypt
• Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, 2005
• Büro- und Wohnanlage Schlachthausgasse, Vienna, 2005
• Akron Art Museum, Akron (Ohio), USA, 2007
• Centro Cultural JVC und Restaurant Mosku, Guadalajara, Mexico
• BMW Welt, Munich, Germany, 2007^[15]
• Central Los Angeles Area High School #9, Los Angeles, Kalifornia, United States, 2008
• Seat of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany
• Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France^[16]