Vienna Office

The office in Vienna was founded in 1967 in collaboration with the Basel-based engineering firm Gebr. Gruner for the area of construction management, under the name «B+G, Industrieplanung Ges.m.b.H., Wien». When it was dissolved in 1971, a close connection remained to the studio of the renowned Viennese architect Georg Lippert, whose buildings were well-known throughout Austria. Lippert was professor and awarded the Austrian honorary title of «Baurat honoris causa» in 1964. In 1972, Burckhardt teamed up with him to found the «Lippert and Burckhardt» consortium, which took over all rights, obligations, and projects as well as around 60 staff from both offices and moved into new premises at Heumarkt 7 in the center of Vienna.

As a recognized personality, Georg Lippert was in an excellent position to represent the new consortium to clients, authorities, and companies in Austria. One of his responsibilities in his home city of Vienna was that of expert advisor for urban planning and so he was well acquainted – as were his staff – with the complex circumstances that prevailed locally in the construction industry. In addition, he became a consulting partner for Burckhardt in Basel. In return, the Vienna office benefited from the knowledge of the Basel firm, the added personnel resources, and the correspondingly greater capacities.

However, Vienna was rocky ground for the young architects from Basel: They found themselves beset by considerable doubts when it came to redesigning the city, one consequence of which was a tense working atmosphere. Their struggle was with the obstacles presented by monument protection, which in Martin H. Burckhardt’s view overshot the mark and promoted the «mummification of the living city.» Vienna’s historic architecture is world-famous. There was scarcely any leeway for urban design that allowed for contemporary additions to the historical stock. In the face of such obstacles, Burckhardt was unable to offer profitable services in Vienna – apart from the buildings for the «Basel Chemistry» – which is why the office was abandoned at the end of the 1970s.