Vienna – Helmut Swiczinsky, co-founder of the influential Vienna-based architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au and a pioneering figure in deconstructivist architecture, died July 29, 2025, at age 81.
Born in Poznań, Poland, in 1944, Swiczinsky studied architecture at Vienna University of Technology and the Architectural Association in London. He co-founded Coop Himmelb(l)au in 1968 with Wolf D. Prix and Michael Holzer, establishing what would become one of the most radical voices in late 20th-century architecture.
The firm’s manifesto rejected functional orthodoxy, declaring: “We want architecture that has more to offer. Architecture that bleeds, exhausts, that turns and even breaks… Architecture must be precipitous, fiery, smooth, hard, angular, brutal, round, tender, colourful, obscene, randy, dreamy.” Rather than starting with practical considerations, Swiczinsky and Prix designed buildings around the emotions and sensations spaces would evoke, seeking “a point of departure, which is uncontrolled by codes, rules, constraints in order to liberate space.”
Their approach included techniques like “drawing with one’s eyes closed,” comparable to automatic drawing practiced by Dadaists and Surrealists. As Prix later explained: “Our architecture was the closest to the so-called deconstructivism.”
Landmark Projects and International Recognition
The firm gained international recognition through groundbreaking projects that challenged architectural conventions. The Falkestrasse Rooftop Extension in Vienna (1983-1988) is recognized as “the first deconstructivist building in the world,” featuring an angular glass and steel structure that appears to explode from a traditional apartment building’s roof.
Other significant works included the UFA Cinema Center in Dresden (1993-1998), with its two interconnected units – the Cinema Block seating 2,600 people and “the Crystal,” a glass shell serving as both foyer and public square; BMW Welt in Munich (2001-2007), designed as “a hovering cloud with a double cone as the main anchor”; and the Musée des Confluences in Lyon (2001-2014), featuring two linked architectural units positioned at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers.
Their work was featured in the landmark 1988 “Deconstructivist Architecture” exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, alongside Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Peter Eisenman, Daniel Libeskind, and Bernard Tschumi.
Swiczinsky served as managing director until 2000 and retired from the partnership in 2006. He received numerous awards including the German Architecture Prize (1999), Grand Austrian State Prize (2000), and Decoration of Honour for Services to the State of Vienna (2002).
“Swi, as we called him, was not only an outstanding ‘Raumarchitekt’ but also a fantastic ‘Konstrukteur,'” said surviving partner Wolf D. Prix in a statement. “Many daring CHBL constructions can be traced back to him.”
Swiczinsky’s architectural practice fundamentally challenged conventional notions of form and function, helping establish deconstructivism as a major architectural movement that created buildings appearing to defy gravity while maintaining structural integrity. His influence extends beyond individual buildings to a broader reconsideration of how architecture can evoke emotion and challenge spatial expectations.
Swiczinsky was a permanent member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Salzburg. The firm continues under Prix’s leadership.
Cover Image: BMW Welt, Munich, Germany, designed by Coop Himmelblau, 2001–07. Courtesy: Wibaimages/Dreamstime.com
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