The “Architecture in the Ringturm” series of architectural exhibitions has been held regularly since 1998 in the exhibition centre at VIG Group headquarters. It is aimed at making the architecture of the countries in which VIG operates widely accessible to the public free of charge.
Maciej Nowicki - An architectural career between Poland, the USA and India
27 November 2012 to 15 February 2013
The exhibition used photographs and drawings to take a closer look at the artistic creativity of the Polish architect Maciej Nowicki. He is considered to be one of the most interesting figures in the world of architecture during the late interwar and early post-war periods in Poland. After emigrating to the USA, he worked with Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer, among others, on the design of the UN Headquarters in New York and the Dorton Arena, one of the most important stadiums of the post-war period. In addition to Nowicki's works, the exhibition also focused on his theoretical reflections, showing him to be an impressive thinker.
Bauherrenpreis 2012
6 March 2013 to 5 April 2013
The Bauherrenpreis, one of the most prestigious architectural awards in Austria, has been awarded each year since 1967 by the Austrian Architects Association (ZV). It honours the functionality, design, social relevance and open area design of buildings whose success is partly due to the commitment of the client. The exhibition showed the projects submitted for the Bauherrenpreis 2012. Using plans, photographs and models, it drew an impressive picture of contemporary Austrian architecture. In addition to the award-winning projects, the exhibition also looked at the projects chosen by the nominating juries in each province.
Theophil Hansen. Classical elegance in everyday life
18 April 2013 to 9 September 2013
The exhibition series dedicated a large personal exhibition to the architect Theophil Hansen to mark his 200th birthday. Born in Denmark, he was without doubt one of the most important protagonists of the Vienna Ringstraße era. He designed the Austrian Parliament Building, Old Stock Exchange, Musikverein concert hall, Palais Ephrussi and Palais Epstein, and had a major influence on the architectural world in Vienna during this period of prosperity. The exhibition also cast light on Hansen's lesser-known creations in Central and Eastern Europe, e.g. in what is known today as the Ukraine or Czech Republic.
MONTENEGRO Landscape contrast, architectural context
19 September 2013 to 15 November 2013
The exhibition series turned to Montenegro for the first time in 2013. The characteristic landscape in this small country on the Adriatic Sea is impressive and is increasingly becoming a destination for international visitors. The architecture of Montenegro, however, is less well known. Both the urban and architectural tradition along the coast show the historical influence of the sea republic of Venice. There is quite a difference between this strip of land along the sea and the mountain region. The rural architecture in the hilly and mountainous areas has a long tradition and was presented together with the coastal region, which is reminiscent of Dalmatian cities.
Bauherrenpreis 2013
27 November 2013 to 10 January 2014
For the third time, the exhibition series showed all of the projects nominated for the Bauherrenpreis award, with special attention given to the seven award winners. A total of 90 projects were submitted to the Bauherrenpreis 2013 competition. Volunteer juries selected up to five buildings for each province, and after extensive examination an international jury – Dörte Mandrup, Arno Brandlhuber, Christian Kühn – chose seven award winners from the 30 projects that were nominated.
* Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, the principal shareholder of VIG, provided all or a major part of the support for these activities.