Clemens Holzmeister

March 27, 1886 in Fulpmes, Austria
June 12, 1983 in Hallein, Austria

Clemens Holzmeister was an Austrian architect. He studied architecture, graduating in 1913 and completing his doctorate in 1919.

He became one of the most influential Austrian architects of the twentieth century. His work included public buildings, churches, theatres and residential architecture. In 1924, he was appointed Professor of Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he later also served as rector.

Between 1930 and 1932, Holzmeister contributed to the Vienna Werkbund Estate (Wiener Werkbundsiedlung) by designing a terraced house. The estate brought together Austrian and international architects to explore modern approaches to residential housing.

Holzmeister also worked extensively in Turkey, particularly in Ankara, where he designed several important public buildings. Following the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, he remained in Turkey and taught at Istanbul Technical University from 1939 to 1949.

He returned to Austria in 1954 and continued his architectural and academic work. Among his notable later projects was the redesign of the Felsenreitschule and the New Festival Theatre in Salzburg, completed in 1960.

Clemens Holzmeister left behind an extensive architectural legacy in Austria, Turkey and beyond.

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