Vienna secession
Vienna secession years
-1897-1918
windows on Steiner house
-front/back: symmetrical -sides: irregular
how was postsparkasse exterior highly functional
facade's aluminum bolts are both technical and symbolic
Otto Wagner
often referred to as the father of modernism
majolica house
-1898-99 -"hideous beyond measure" -constructed as he left kunstlerhaus -viennese apt building -facade covered in ceramic majolica tiles
end of secessionists
-1903: several secessionists leave and form the wiener werkstatte -1905: Klimt group leaves over differences -continued into 1920s but wasn't the same after 1905
Church am Steinhof
-1904-07 -hospital church -copper covered dome -sits on a hilltop (nicknamed limoniberg or lemon mountain) -built for patients of a psychiatric hospital
Postsparkasse
-1904-12 -modern building -wagner's most modern and important work
looshaus
-1911 -goldman and salatsch building -G+S: top men's store/tailor -HQ located next to imperial palace -design shocked viennese citizens and officials
ringstrasse
-5.3 km long road and buildings surround the city center of vienna -replaced fortification walls that had been constructed during 13th century -mainly built between 1860s-90s
the secession building
-Joseph Maria Olbrich, 1898 -"temple of art" -an exhibition building was seen as crucial to the movement -archaic and modern
Loos clothing
-advocated being correctly dressed, not fashionably dressed -simple exterior, interior is personal (translated to architecture)
Adolf Loos's early years
-born in Czec republic to German parents -graduated from Dresden technical university in 1893 -after graduation he lived in Philly w/ his uncle for 3 years
portsparkasse transformative interior
-clear and functional interior -aluminum is used inside and out (new concept) -including aluminum heating ducts
Goldman and salatsch scandal
-criticized for being too austere -construction was halted -to appease the city Loos added flower boxed
villa muller interior
-different ceiling heights--depending on function -rich materials: mahogany, travertine, marble
how is it "complicated" with loos
-disdained contemporary use of ornament, but didn't advocate for austerity -he used chippendale chairs, ivory doorknobs, mahogany paneling -vibrant colors (yellow window frames, red radiators)
Wagner's rebellion
-early work looked to historical references -became increasingly radical in his designs
loos believed the use of ornament:
-exploited craftspeople -hindered progress
secession building interior
-flexible, open interior for exhibits -natural light from above
portsparkasse functional interior
-glass barrel vaulted ceiling (main hall) -non load bearing partition walls for early alterations
the secessionists
-group secedes from the kunstlerhaus (1897) -members include artists, architects, graphic designers, etc
raumplan in practice
-house as a series of cells, linked by subtle circulation system -irregular window configuration -each space awarded difference importance: public spaces=higher ceilings, private spaces=lower ceilings
ringstrasse buildings
-idealized versions of historical architectural styles -building style matched function -also held abundant parks and cafes
symbolism in the secession building
-laurel leaves: dominant symbol -three gorgons: architecture, sculpture, painting -owls: wisdom
gustav Klimt
-lead founding member of secession (1st president) -controversial artist -known for his fold style
künsterhaus
-main art exhibition hall (traditional/conservative) -juried selection for exhibits: modernists and impressionists were usually rejected
was adolf loos a secessionist
-no -agreed w exploration of art beyond academy -rejected ornamental trend in their work -lost commission to decorate the secession council chamber
does loos directly say that ornament is crime?
-no -he doesn't mean that those who use it are criminals, just thinks its socially inappropriate or criminal behavior
Adolf loos major ideas
-opposed Gesamtkunstwerk--didn't like "doctoral" attitude -critical of decorative approach to architecture and design (Hoffman, Klimt) -admonished the use of ornament in modern society
ornament and crime
-originally a lecture--later converted to essay -attack on modern ornament -closely pairs modern ornament and crime
windows at villa muller
-placed where they needed to be -not dictated by rules of symmetry -inwardly focused (like clothing--simple on the interior)
villa muller
-prague, 1928 -tight cube, doesn't communicate anything to the outside -exterior is basic geometry (no ornament), steep site
functional features of church am Steinhof
-seating designed w/out sharp edges -floor slopes towards altar (for easy cleaning) -short pews (incase a patient needed to leave quickly)
secessionist ideals
-separate from historical styles from the past -integrate art into all areas of life -all forms of art have equal status
raumplan-theory
-theory of spatial organization -placing and sizing spaces by the role space is playing -different spaces need different ceiling heights -each room should be designed individually
steiner house interior
-used raumplan to design interior -separated living and sleeping levels -interior materials differ from one room to the next
steiner house
-vienna, 1910 -neighborhood building code: has to be 2 stories or less on street side
Wagner and "the establishment"
-worked in ringstrasse architects studio -vienna's leading architect -then, became a trailblazer of modernism