Helmut Swiczinsky


Helmut Swiczinsky was an Austrian architect.

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.
He founded the Viennese group of architects Coop Himmelbau 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 stepped down as managing director and left the company in 2006 as partner.
In 1973 he was a visiting professor at the Architectural Association in London. Swiczinsky was a permanent member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts based in Salzburg.
Swiczinsky died following a long illness on 29 July 2025, at the age of 81.

Memberships

Swiczinsky was a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Awards

Together with his architecture colleague Prix he received, among other awards:
  • Schelling Architekturpreis 1992
  • the German Architecture Prize 1999
  • the Great Austrian State Prize 2000
  • the European Steel Award 2001
  • Decoration of honor for services to the State of Vienna 2002

    Exhibitions

Among other exhibitions that Swiczinsky staged were:
Among other books that Swiczinsky wrote were:
  • Kristin Feireiss; Jürgen Commerell: COOP HIMMELBAU. 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 HIMMELBAU. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit 2002
  • Martina Kandeler-Fritsch, Thomas Kramer: Get Off of My Cloud. Wolf D. Prix. Coop Himmelbau. Texte 1968-2005. Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern-Ruit 2005
  • Kristin Feireiss: Dynamic Forces. COOP HIMMELBAU. BMW Welt München. Prestel Verlag, München, Berlin, London, New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-7913-3875-0.
  • Peter Noever: COOP HIMMELBAU. 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 / CoopHimmelbau. Essay. ; Prestel, München / Berlin / London / New York 2010, ISBN 978-3-7913-4433-1.

    Buildings and Projects with the Participation of Helmut Swiczinsky

Among other projects that Swiczinsky undertook were: