Carl Pruscha

This monograph on the work of Austrian architect Carl Pruscha (born 1936) is divided into the three geographical areas of his life and legacy: the United States, Kathmandu, and Vienna. Following his study of architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Pruscha spent the early 1960s attending Harvard University s Graduate School of Design, constantly in search of inspiration and visions, a balance between work and free time, and a desire for freedom and self-determination. An invitation by the UN to go to Nepal in 1964 enabled him to establish himself as a practicing architect. Various construction projects along with the Kathmandu Valley Development and Preservation Project made it possible for him to observe and document, to plan and build. Living within a foreign culture encouraged him to examine roles, status, and privileges in society and investigate the works of Kenzo Tange and Louis Kahn. After returning to Vienna in 1978, he was a professor and later the head of the Academy of Fine Arts. Pruscha s academic and societal influence brought to light the differences between teaching and practice in architecture and made this activist and bohemian a defining figure in the city. The three chapters are accompanied by photographic portfolios by Iwan Baan and Hertha Hurnaus, numerous project documentations, and a detailed timeline that illustrates the geopolitical, cultural, and technological developments surrounding the life and times of Carl Pruscha.