HIGH GOALS
For True Wind #2 Max had his creative eyes set on a higher prize, windsurfing on the top of a tower block, he tells us how he managed his lofty goal.
MM: “As I entered the sky-scraping building of Alt Erlaa, a flashback put me back on that familiar red Persian carpet spread across the living room floor. Tossing Lego pieces around, that is where, bit by bit, my cousins and I would recreate our fantasy world. My aunt was one of the almost 13,000 people living there. This time however, my fantasy was somewhat more complex… I intended to windsurf on the rooftop of this 30-floor building. Alt Erlaa, built in the 1970s as a state residential project, is considered to be one of the largest, most innovative apartment buildings in Austria. The building consists of three towers, each of 100 m height and with completely independent infrastructures.
Coming out of the subway station, strolling through the shopping centre, Alt Erlaa’s charm becomes evident. People of all ages with different cultural backgrounds live together in a friendly and peaceful manner. I notice some workers sitting at the bar of the local café, quenching their thirst with a pint of beer and savouring their goulash. I’m looking for two grey-haired men, Mr Hertl and Mr Heiss, who I need permission from to make this crazy idea a reality. It took several phone calls and exhausting explanations before convincing the building management to support my new True Wind project. A firm handshake, an exchange of Alt Erlaa facts and memories and before I knew it, we were walking over to Block C, the tower facing west, discussing the plans of my unconventional idea. Mr Hertl and Mr Heiss nod in understanding. They seem a bit perplexed, but who can blame them?