Christine Schwaiger

Christine Schwaiger serves as Professor of Interior Design and Head of the Master's program in Interior Design & Visual Communication at New Design University (NDU), Faculty of Design. She has led the Interior Design & 3D Design program since 2008 and the Master's program since 2014, establishing herself as a central figure in NDU's design education framework with deep roots in architectural theory and practice.

Her academic formation spans 1989-2000 at Vienna's Academy of Fine Arts and University of Applied Arts alongside London's Royal College of Art, specializing in architecture, interior design, and product design. Professional milestones include assistantship to Ron Arad (1994-1997), partnership at archisphere architects&designers (2004-2009), and founding her civil engineering practice Schwaiger Architecture/Interior in 2009.

Professor Schwaiger's research critically investigates exhibition architecture, the communicative power of spatial graphics and color, and socio-spatial dynamics—particularly through Margarethe Schütte-Lihotzky's legacy. She redefines interior design as a discipline that interprets people as interconnected social-political subjects and spaces as active agents in constant transformation, moving beyond mere aesthetics to foster critical designers capable of innovative problem-solving within broad socio-cultural contexts. NDU's curriculum under her guidance integrates professional rigor with theoretical depth through industry collaborations, manufacturer partnerships, and global exposure via trade fairs and production site visits.

She actively supervises doctoral candidates aligned with her research domains while leveraging extensive industry networks to connect students with leading architects and designers. Her professional practice as a state-authorized civil engineer since 2009 bridges academic theory with real-world application, reinforcing NDU's mission to cultivate designers who question conventions and develop unconventional spatial solutions.