Hans Hollein was an architect, theorist, urban planner, designer, artist and teacher. He is considered one of the leading exponents of Postmodern Design in Europe.
After graduating from the Bundes Gewerbeschule in Vienna, he studied Architecture at the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien. During this period he also lived and worked in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1958 he continued his studies in the United States at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of California. After his return to Vienna, he worked in various architectural studios until, in 1964, he started his own business as a civil engineer. From 1964 to 1970 he was editor of Bau magazine in Vienna and worked for several other architecture magazines as a correspondent. In 1981 he collaborated with Memphis. He was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1985. He was director of the architecture section of the Venice Biennale from 1994-1996.
Hollein designed the Museum Abteiberg in Mönchengladbach, the MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt and the Haas-Haus shopping complex in Vienna. In 2010 he founded the firm Hans Hollein & Partner with Christoph Monschein. An essential part of Hollein's life was marked by his teaching activities in Austria and abroad.
