Austria, Vienna, International Organisations Headquarters And Conference Centre
Conference Centre (Modern), Office (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Austria, Vienna, International Organisations Headquarters And Conference Centre
Classification Conference Centre (Modern), Office (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Uno City; Vienna International Centre
Canmore ID 284838
Site Number NON-UK 2
Datum WGS84 - Lat/Long
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/284838
- Council Not Applicable
- Parish Not Applicable
- Former Region Not Applicable
- Former District Not Applicable
- Former County Not Applicable
Building Notes
In September 1968, Sir Basil Spence was asked by the International Union of Architects (IUA) to sit on the international jury for the competition to design the International Organisations Headquarters and Conference Centre in Vienna. The competition attracted wide interest with 280 submissions from architects in 50 different countries. Due to other business commitments Basil Spence and the Italian designer Gio Ponti left the international jury early. They voted on paper for an entry submitted by the English practice Rock Townsend. However, the remaining nine jury-members declared the Austrian architect Johann Staber as the winner in December 1970. This decision caused an outcry in the architectural press.
Vienna is the seat of a number of United Nations offices and various international institutions and companies including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) who were the first to be housed in the Headquarters.
Archive Details
The manuscript material in the Sir Basil Spence Archive shows that a mistake was made in the initial letter that was written offering Spence the position of juror. The IUA had originally intended him to act as a deputy jury member; a post that Spence might have refused because of his busy schedule.
One letter in the Archive, written by Spence, gives an insight into controversy that followed the competition. It explains that Spence had 'heard, at a cocktail party in Vienna during the judging, that the Austrian was going to win in the end', something which had now become apparent. He was worried that this, and the fact that an adviser to the jury was now thought to be in partnership for the final scheme, might put future international competitions in jeopardy.
Archive Summary
The Archive holds three manuscript files relating to Spence's involvement with the International Organisations Headquarters and Conference Centre competition in Vienna. These contain correspondence, minutes of meetings, a project brief and jury papers. One of the batches consists entirely of bound volumes including the competition conditions and the jury's final report.
This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.
