Karl Schwanzer
As early as high school, he and his uncle (a carpenter) planned and built an allotment garden house ("Schrebergartenhäuschen") for his family on Vienna's Schafberg in 1935.
After his graduation from high school at the Bundesrealgymnasium Wien 7 in 1936, he completed his mandatory service in the Austrian national guard.
Immediately after passing the 2nd state examination and being awarded the title of qualified engineer, Karl Schwanzer was moved to Rybnik in Reichsgau Oberschlesien in autumn 1940.
After the war, Karl Schwanzer and his family found and moved to a job as a technical manager at Allbau in Bodenwöhr (Upper Palatinate).
At the beginning of his career as a freelance architect he worked on smaller projects, such as entrance halls and exhibitions, leading to new contracts in the early years.
By avoiding solid floor plan splits, Schwanzer created an atmosphere of large living space.
The framework of the information pavilion was used for the entrance hall, office and staff rooms, a small exhibition space and a lecture theatre.
Through the familiar elements of toy building sets, it was designed to make it easier for children to adapt to the initially unfamiliar atmosphere in the kindergarten community by means of an intimate, affective relationship.
The Austria Pavilion set out to transcend the need for residential buildings to be no more than objects, instead advocating a sculptural installation and aggressive architecture with industrially prefabricated components.
Numerous boutiques and shops located on several tiers could function as a large open department store with an urban atmosphere.
The large cathedral exterior is supposed to mimic the shape of a tire in a racing car, with the garage representing the cylinder head.
During construction, individual floors were assembled on the ground and then elevated, allowing for simultaneous execution of the shell and the finished work.
The layout allows a functional summary of an entire floor, while preserving intimacy of the group space in the three-quarter circle.
In line with the educational centre's intended function, Schwanzer designed a clearly defined and easily organizable building, providing the interiors and working spaces with all the flexibility needed for adaptation to new requirements.
In its outer appearance, the building represents a country with a high degree of cultural heritage while the interior induces an intimate atmosphere of hospitality and charm.
The gleaming white building in local prefabricated lightweight concrete elements provides a strong contrast between the clear blue sky and the red soil of Brazil.
The living quarters and offices lining the cantilevered upper floor are shielded from the strong sunlight but nevertheless provide views of the Baroque garden, the embassy's iconic green surroundings and the open countryside beyond.
