Traditions modulate but the adaptations and attendant transformations that characterize cultural evolution take time. The earliest industrial buildings employed the grand style of patrician architecture until new forms were invented and the old garb was discarded. A purely industrial architecture became possible only in the 20th century; previously, the factories were characterized by architectural elements left over from earlier functions.

At first glance, Ottmar Hörl’s sculptures look like attempts at transforming industrial architecture back into public architecture. This is accurate, however,