12. September 2024
Colin Fournier and Sir Peter Cook left their mark on Austria with the Kunsthaus in the Styrian capital of Graz. (Photo © Christian Plach)
Best known for the Graz Kunsthaus, which he designed with Sir Peter Cook, Colin Fournier was also a professor of architecture, was involved in the design of the Parc de la Villette, was a member of the avant-garde group Archigram, and planned entire cities. He died in Paris on September 4, 2024, at the age of 79.
Trunk-like openings; the organically shaped, shimmering blue media facade; two mechanical moving walkways for access — the Kunsthaus Graz is a pioneering achievement. Colin Fournier made the “friendly alien,” which he designed together with Sir Peter Cook, famous. Opened in 2003 next to the listed Iron House from the 1840s, the museum has been a source of friction and inspiration for many architects — especially those from Austria.
It is not only the novel design language that fascinates many, the building also marks a turning point in history: Although it was still designed with a pencil, the implementation was digital and many of the working models were created using a 3D printer. The final bubble shape of the museum was developed and statically optimized using computer software. A team of experts compiled the entire design in a 3D model, and the contractors produced the building's components from this data set. It was a procedure that anticipated much of what is still sometimes celebrated by PR agencies today as an innovation in the construction industry.
Another impressive architectural achievement is how the Kunsthaus blends into the old town despite its extravagance. Anyone who has been to Graz can confirm that the extraordinary building looks like a friendly creature among its historical neighbors. The Kunsthaus has long been one of the city's landmarks. In 2005, Colin Fournier received the Golden Medal of Honor of the State of Styria for his contribution to the project.
The Kunsthaus is adjacent to the historic Iron House, a listed building which houses further exhibition rooms. (Photo © Zepp-Cam, 2004, Graz)
But Fournier was by no means only the architect of the Graz Kunsthaus: together with Bernard Tschumi, he won the highly acclaimed competition for the Parc de la Villette in the early 1980s. Like the museum, the complex on the site of a former Parisian abattoir is one of the most influential building projects of recent decades. The green space with its characteristic red, deconstructivist pavilions was exemplary for dealing with wasteland in Europe's major cities.
Fournier, who, like Cook, was a member of the avant-garde group Archigram, was a passionate teacher of architecture. For 18 years he taught the master's course in urban design and a diploma course at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. He recently completed a four-year visiting professorship at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Fournier was also successful as an urban planner. He worked on major projects in the Middle East, for example laying out Yanbu, a city in Saudi Arabia with a population of 200,000.
A visit to the Kunsthaus Graz ends at the glazed viewing platform. (Photo: N. Lackner © Universalmuseum Joanneum)
Colin Fournier remained connected to “his” Kunsthaus even after its completion. Chief curator Katrin Bucher Trantow says that the British architect was always supportive in thinking ahead and playing with the building: “Much too early and in the middle of planning a lecture at the Kunsthaus, he has now sadly passed away. We would like to thank him for his always open ear, his trust and his performative architecture, which is his legacy.”