Trees grow, and grow, and grow, and have been doing so for 300 million years, on every continent.

For the past 300 years, forests in Europe have been managed and used sustainably. Austria is a country of forests, just like Japan. We have been building with wood for centuries.

But during the past three decades in particular, timber construction has been completely redefined here in Austria and now covers the whole range of building types: multi-storey apartment blocks, commercial and industrial structures, infrastructure, the health sector, sacred, cultural and educational buildings.

The three wooden sculptures in this exhibition are designed by Atelier Andrea Gassner. They open up like oversized origami in an allusion to the tectonic qualities of today’s timber architecture with its planar materials.

The magic of wood lies in its beauty and flexibility, its lightness and structural strength. And it owes its relevance as a building material of tomorrow to its regional availability and thoroughly positive climatic impact.

Twenty-six selected projects demonstrate the innovative energy and cultural aspirations of contemporary timber architecture from Austria.

No rush. The tree has time on its side.
Wood has a future.