Oblates of St. Paul’s Monastery

“The church of our time wants to be in the world […]. It wants to be neither ghetto nor castle keep but seeks dialogue, encounter, collaboration.” (Monsignore Otto Mauer) On January 29, 1970, Johann Pleyer received a letter from the office of the provincial procurator of the Oblates listing a number of points to be changed in the planned construction of a new monastery at Auhofstrasse 169, including point 8: no flat roof. In this case the fathers fail to assert themselves because Pleyer designs an elongated, two-story structure with a flat roof. Piercing the building vertically are two massive concrete columns housing the staircase and the elevator, which was also requested in the letter. Unlike the other ribbon windows, which are plain, the one above the entrance is adorned with an elaborate and intricate pattern that is not yet included in the submission plan. In this work, incorporating art into architecture is an important theme for the architect. The building was only recently sold to a nonprofit housing corporation after the last father had moved out. (Written by Sonja Pisarik, Architekturzentrum Wien)