The first American showcase of the varied and energetic architectural scene flourishing in Austria's two exquisite, westernmost mountain provinces of Tirol and Vorarlberg. Featuring the work of 26 individual architects and firms, Austria West presents an array of models, drawings, photographs, and other documentation, revealing the ways in which architects in these two very different regional cultures have together forged a new Alpine modernism of international relevance.

Austria West presents a selection of buildings that convey the dynamism, unique setting, and constant social evolution of Tirol and Vorarlberg, places of contrasting regional character that are nevertheless united in their shared "ambition to counteract the cliches of "lederhosen architecture""; in the search for an authentic new Alpine architectural language; and in the creation of progressive, ecologically intelligent, and socially responsible buildings.

From private houses and public housing, schools, and churches, to industrial buildings, hospitals, hotels, railway stations, and supermarkets, the projects exhibited in Austria West share a primary common denominator provided by nature: The spatial challenge of Alpine terrain - particularly in Tirol, where less than 5% of the ground has a slope of less than 10% - and the remarkable sculptural presence of mountain scenery profoundly influence architects" practical solutions to siting buildings.