The main building of the University of Vienna on the Ringstraße

The Renaissance meets the 19th century

A university’s “house” is always much more than just a building. Of course it offers the roof under which research is done and students are taught. But most of all, it is the location of the encounter between teachers and students, the space in which the community, the universitas, comes into existence. Thus, the architecture itself becomes a place of identification with the institution.

At the same time, the demands placed on the possible architects by different members of the contracting commission are far from uniform or constant. An analytical look at the Main Building on the Ring opened in 1884 shows which (self-)conception is reflected here and with which ideals the community should identify.