Basilica & Clerical House, Mariazell

It is a gift for an architect to work together with one client for a quarter of a century.

This was feasable in Mariazell, important catholic stronghold in Central Europe. From 1992 until 2018 the Liturgic District (Basilica, Clerical House etc.), have been refurbished, reorganized and extended. The objective was to design the New in a way, that it is clearly recognisable without competiting the Old but preserving the Old’s specific charm and atmosphere. Importance was attached at high handcrafted quality throughout the realisation and at the sensitive selection of surfaces and  materials.

Embedded into an overall concept many specific measures from very small to very big scales were implemented.

The particular artistry consisted in not to lose the overview, not to fall victim to fast trends and to be able to coexist side by side with the creations of Domenico Sciassa and Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. All that happened in respect for spirituality and equally free from fear of the burden of history. It is a matter of harmonic coexistence of Old and New, that sets up an unique experience for all senses. The client constantly had a vision for the entire project and for the firstly utopic funding.