Heidulf Gerngross, a true master of the architectural and painterly, has left an incomparable mark on the world of art and architecture over the course of his impressive career. Born in November 1939 in idyllic Kötschach-Mauthen, his creative journey began as a journeyman carpenter at the Felbertal Werkschulheim in 1957, followed by his A-levels a year later. His thirst for knowledge led him to Vienna, where he studied architecture from 1958 to 1961, before embarking on an inspiring trip around the world from 1961 to 1962.
In Tokyo in 1962, Gerngross discovered his love of painting, a passion that would never let him go. However, he returned to Austria to continue his architecture studies in Graz from 1965 to 1968. There he joined forces with like-minded visionaries such as Bernhard Hafner, Konrad Frey and Helmut Richter, and their joint student work laid the foundations for the renowned Graz School. His journey took him to Los Angeles, where he studied Urban Land Economics at UCLA from 1968 to 1972.
Gerngross' breakthrough came with the creation of the spatial alphabet with 24 positions, an impressive materialization of language in the form of a right angle. This innovative concept also found its way into his first book, the Volksbuch, which was partly published in the spatial alphabet in 1978.
In 1976, he founded the Gerngross-Richter architecture firm together with Helmut Richter. In the early 1980s, they created a key work on the Austrian architecture scene with the extension to Haus Königseder in Upper Austria. Gerngross' vision extended far beyond traditional architectural boundaries; he planned over 300 social housing units in Vienna, including the first Viennese loft development.
In 1995, Gerngross made a groundbreaking discovery: the design molecule Archiquant. This molecule became his creative wonder weapon, with which he not only created architecture, but also furniture, jewellery and the world construction kit Vinzenz - an architectural construction kit named after his youngest son.
In 2002, Gerngross represented Austria at the Architecture Biennale in Venice, where his works casa privata, sphera indefinita and aula discorsiva took centre stage. His architectural model capella bianca made such an impression that it was purchased by the MAK Vienna.
In August 2007, the Gerngross Column was unveiled by Franz West, a monument in honour of Gerngross' work and friendship, realized by the City of Vienna's Department of Culture. A year later, in 2008, his life's work was honoured with the City of Vienna Prize.
Gerngross' art is not limited to architecture. In 2009, he curated the exhibition The Game of the Mighty at the MAK Vienna, in which he presented Franz West's Nageltower, among other works. He had his first exhibition in 1962 at the Ginza Gallery in Tokyo, together with Ulf von Maydell. In the years that followed, he took part in numerous group exhibitions, including at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York in 2003, the Kunsthaus Zug in Switzerland in 2005 and the Shusev State Museum of Architecture in Moscow in 2011.
Heidulf Gerngross, father of six children, lives and works in Vienna. His life's work is an impressive testimony to his creative genius, his vision and his tireless pursuit of innovative architectural and artistic solutions.