Lebbeus Woods

New York architect Lebbeus Woods (*1940), founder of the Research Institute for Experimental Architecture (RIEA), is deeply involved in architectural theory and experimental architecture. Instead of approaching individual building plans in terms of feasibility and functionality, he develops visionary projects that embrace science, philosophy, and art. His design process, a complex intellectual model also inspired by science-fiction icons, has influenced generations of architects. Woods' sets his hypothetical projects in zones of crisis and violence, for he believes that the architect's task is to design spaces and urban structures that react to the full range of human living conditions. The starting point for this transdisciplinary treatment is a series of architectural interventions on the urban structure of Vienna, which Woods conceived especially for the MAK. The accompanying essays provide a broader context for this project, while referring to fundamental aspects of the work and ideas of one of the most important architects of our time. Exhibition schedule: MAK, Vienna, June 29 - October 16, 2005