Architects criticize mayor’s self-designed Elixhausen town hall

Salzburg’s chamber representing civil engineers and architects has called the planning of Elixhausen’s five-million-euro town hall unprofessional, ORF reports. Mayor Michael Prantner, a lawyer and member of the Austrian People’s Party, led the design using free software intended for kitchen planning.

Prantner said the municipality had deliberately skipped an architecture competition because it already knew what it needed. A professional later completed the plans before they were handed to the construction workers. The approach saved the municipality tens of thousands of euros in planning costs, he said, and he would recommend it for functional buildings such as a town hall.

Prantner said the municipality had chosen an architect to design the village square because appearance was a priority. He also said he did not reject the idea of architecture competitions.

Carsten Innerhofer, an architect and vice-president of the regional chamber, said a town hall was not an fitted kitchen and required professional expertise. He was particularly concerned that Prantner acted both as the client and as the municipality’s first building authority, which decides on building applications. “That should not set a precedent,” Innerhofer said.

Innerhofer said the planning and positioning of buildings, as well as their development, should be left to architects rather than amateur planners.