Helene Koller-Buchwieser
Architectural Papers, 1942-1998

Ms95-020
16 cu. ft.

Introduction:

Helene Koller-Buchwieser was born in Vienna, Austria, on November 26, 1912. She studied architecture at the Vienna Polytechnic (Technischen Hochschule) and graduated in 1937. While she was a student she worked as a stone mason on the renovation of the Romanesque Church St. Michael in Pulkau. Although her interests lay in designing religious architecture, during and followingWorld War II she worked to restore the infrastructure of Vienna and rebuild bombed housing.

In 1946 Koller-Buchwieser opened her own office. Her work included social housing and private homes, student dormitories and housing for the elderly, orphanages, factories and fire stations, and churchs and monasteries. In 1979 she was bestowed with the title "Professor" by the Austrian Minsistry of Education and Art.

Scope and Content:

The Helene Koller-Buchwieser collection consists of architectural drawings, photographs, newspaper clippings, biographical information and other information that recounts her life and work. Most of the structures represented in her papers are located in Vienna. The majority of the materials are in German.

Provenance:

The Helene Koller-Buchwieser papers were donated to the International Archive of Women in Architecture in October 1995 by Ms. Koller-Buchwieser. The papers were processed in 1996 by Jennifer Harlow and in April 1998 by Brad Shearer, student assistants, and Laura Katz Smith, Manuscripts Curator, Special Collections Department.

Contents List:

Box:

• Folder 1: 1946--Correspondence about Koller-Buchwieser
• Folder 2: 1948-95--Biographical and professional information about Koller-Buchwieser
• Folder 3: 1988--SIAC (International Society of Christian Artists)
• Folder 4: 1989--Ordered list of projects
• Folder 5: 1995--Biographical information about Koller-Buchwieser
• Folder 6: 1995--Radio interview with Koller-Buchwieser
• Folder 7: 1996--IAWA newsletter featuring Koller-Buchwieser
• Folder 8: n.d.--Community Center presentation
• Folder 9: n.d.--Scrapbook of newspaper clippings (some photographs) about her work

See attached list for information about individual projects.

Send questions or comments to:
IAWA Archivist, University Libraries
Virginia Tech, P.O. Box 90001,
Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001