September School 2026: Reinvent AUA Vienna

September School takes the form of a contest among several groups of multidisciplinary participants, each led by a duo of professors or instructors from participating institutions. The groups are not going to design anything, but will develop briefs for an imagined international competition focused on a specific site in Vienna.

Over the course of four days (3 - 6 September 2026), participants will craft a compelling conceptual rationale and programmatic framework for the future development of the selected site—addressing both the why and the what. They will also define how the competition itself should be organised, including phasing, jury composition, and selection criteria.

This year’s edition focuses on the highly charged site of the former headquarter of the Austrian Workers' Compensation Board, the AUVA building on Adalbert-Stifter-Straße in the 20th district. Completed in 1976, this monumental research and administrative centre, designed by architect Kurt Hlaweniczka and civil engineer Kurt Koss, is considered a prime example of Austrian post-war modernism and the first of its kind.

More information & application here.

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Who can apply
Master’s students in architecture; urban, industrial and landscape design; urban planning; social design; urban and cultural studies Recent graduates (not more than 1 year ago) of the Bachelor’s programs in architecture; urban, industrial and landscape design; urban planning; social design; urban and cultural studies

Jury
International experts

Prize for the winning team
Monetary

Admission
Free

Language
English

ECTS
3 points (for the students of partnering institutions)

Location
Österreichische Postsparkasse

Date
3 - 6 September 2026

Apply
Send a Letter of motivation (300 words) and a Bio (150 words) to stb@tuwien.ac.at before 23.00 on 03.08.2026. Please, state your name/surname, current program of studies, name of the institution. Only 40 applicants will be accepted as a result of the selection procedure.