Vienna Secession

Vienna Secession

Overview of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

  • Ruling Entity:

    • The Austro-Hungarian Empire was ruled by the Hapsburgs and specifically by Emperor Franz Joseph.

  • Composition:

    • The empire consisted of the Kingdoms of Austria and Hungary.

    • It included diverse provinces:

    • Bohemia,

    • Moravia,

    • Slovakia,

    • Carpathia,

    • Tyrolia,

    • Slovenia,

    • Croatia,

    • Bosnia-Herzegovina,

    • Transylvania.

  • Demographic Character:

    • It was a multi-ethnic empire where German speakers constituted a minority.

  • Urban Development (1870s-1890s):

    • Vienna undertook significant urban redevelopment, resulting in the establishment of extensive boulevards and public buildings known as the Ringstrasse.

  • Historical Figures:

    • Franz Joseph (1830-1916)

    • Elizabeth “Sisi” (1837-1898)

The Secession Movement (1898-1907)

  • Key Figure: Oskar Kokoschka, known for works such as Die Windsbraut (1914) and Self-Portrait (Egon Schiele, 1912).

  • Notable Artwork: Die Küss by Gustav Klimt (1907-1908), housed at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.

The Secession Art Gallery and Studio

  • Architects:

    • Gustav Klimt

    • Joseph Maria Olbrich

  • Location and Date: Vienna, Austria, from 1897-1898.

  • Motto: “To Each Time its Art— To Art its Freedom” - Gustav Klimt.

Secession Building

  • Designers: Gustav Klimt & Joseph Maria Olbrich

  • Location: Vienna, Austria

  • Year Completed: 1898

  • Notable Feature: The Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt (1902, restored 1995).

Otto Wagner's Contributions

  • Life Span: 1841-1918.

  • Significant Works:

    • Wagner’s influence through O. M. (Oberbaudirektor) where he taught future generations in architecture.

    • Modern Architecture saw major changes under his guidance (first edition - 1895).

  • Important Structures:

    • Majolica House (1898, Vienna)

    • Karlsplatz U-Bahn Station (1893-1897, Vienna)

    • Imperial Post Office and Savings Bank (1904, Vienna).

Detailed Architecture of Otto Wagner

  • Imperial Postal Savings Bank:

    • Significant in design and functionality, located in Vienna, completed in 1904 with unique internal features like the banking hall.

  • St. Leopold-am-Steinhof: (1905, Vienna)

    • Emphasized importance through architectural details and structure.

Wiener Werkstätte

  • Philosophy: “Our aim is to create an island of tranquility in our own country, which, amid the joyful hum of arts and crafts, would be welcome to anyone who professes faith in Ruskin and Morris.”

  • Key Figures:

    • Joseph Hoffmann (1870-1956)

    • Koloman Moser (1868-1918)

Purkersdorf Sanitarium

  • Architect: Joseph Hoffmann

  • Location: Purkersdorf, Austria

  • Construction Period: 1904-1905.

  • Details:

    • Internal design focused on therapeutic space.

    • Interior features include a dining room specifically designed for function and aesthetic beauty.

Palais Stoclet

  • Architect: Josef Hoffmann

  • Location: Brussels, Belgium

  • Year Completed: 1905.

  • Components:

    • Included various rooms designed for distinct purposes, emphasizing harmony and aesthetics in architecture.

Adolf Loos: A Critical Perspective

  • Born: 1870 in Brno, Moravia (Brünn).

  • Education: Graduated from the Technische Hochschule in Dresden, 1893.

  • Influence of American Architecture:

    • Exposure to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago led to a deep appreciation for functionalist industrial architecture.

  • Career Milestones:

    • Worked briefly under Carl Mayreder (1895-1897), then began his independent practice.

  • Monumental Work:

    • Loos Haus: Controversial office building located at Michaelerplatz 3, completed in 1911.

    • Critique: Published “Ornament und Verbrechen” in 1908, expressing his dismay with the decorative aspects of the Vienna Secessionists.

Other Significant Works by Adolf Loos

  • Steiner House: (1910, Vienna)

  • Villa Müller: (1930, Prague, Czech Republic)

    • Notable Quote: “My architecture is not conceived by drawings, but by spaces… There are only interconnected continual spaces, rooms, halls, terraces…”

    • Emphasizes the importance of spatial relationships over traditional architectural drawing forms.