The architecture of a city, or the urban planning, is the soul of the city, the expression, the art, the city itself. One does not have to be Viennese to realize that the city is full of architectural highlights. But apart from the obvious and haunting historical center with the breathtaking Stephansdom and the Opera building, Vienna has also to show visionary, architectural pieces of art, to which this article is dedicated.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Hunderwassehaus
The Hundertwasserhaus is an apartment house in Vienna, located in the third district of the city, Landstasse district. A highly touristic place that is included in almost every tourist guide, even though it is far from being a cliché; the architecture of those apartments are so unique that me myself, after two years living in Vienna, every time I pass by I can not escape by spending some time to stare at them.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser started out as a painter. Later he jumped to architecture, where he developed new architectural shapes and worked passionately in the field of environmental protection. Because Hundertwasser was not an architect himself, architect Peter Pelikan became his long-term partner, who helped him to put his ideas into practice. Hundertwasser’s main focus was to create human and environmental friendly buildings. He rejected the straight line, since the straight line cannot be found alone in the nature, and the functional architecture. The Hundertwasserhaus is colorful, has uneven floors, large trees growing inside out the rooms and the roof is covered with trees.
so beautiful and unique that definitely worth’s a visit.
Another Vienna’s building that is designed according to the irregular structures of Friedensreich Hundertwasser is the Spittelau waste incineration plant, in the 9th district. Lastly, there is also the
that is entirely dedicated to the artist; painting graphic works, applied art, architectural designs are all exhibited and open to the public.
Hans Hollein, Haas House
It’s pretty hard, if not impossible, to live or visit Vienna and not come across Haas House; it is located in the first district of Vienna, in the central of the city, just across the Stephansdom (Cathedral). Hollein was born in Vienna and has a strong academic background. The Haas House represents the postmodernist style of architecture; the modern, glass-and-steel building contrasts with the Romanesque and gothic form of the Cathedral and as a result, this contrast brings up different opinions and emotions. The building is considered controversial, however, even the interior was designed with attention to detail. The glass facade reflects St. Stephen’s Cathedral and creates a beautiful bond between the classical and modern aesthetics.
In 1968, Hollein wrote and designed a 30-page manifesto in which he declared, “Everything is Architecture”. He also wrote: “A true architecture of our time will have to redefine itself and expand its means. Many areas outside traditional building will enter the realm of architecture, as architecture and “architects” will have to enter new fields.” (“Alles ist Architektur”, “Bau” Journal, Hans Hollein, 1968); and then he just made it happen.
Another notable design project of Hans Hollein, is the museum’s Albertina extension, in the inner city of Vienna.
Coop Himmelb(l)au, Rooftop Remodeling Falkestrasse
From “architecture is everything”, let’s move on to “architecture is yes”. The Falkestrasse rooftop remodeling is maybe the most iconic and sharp architectural project of Coop Himmelb(l)au. The remodeled roof is part of a traditional Vienese building of the first district. The owners simply wanted more space and Coop Himmelb(l)au went and built the sky.
Coop Himmelb(l)au is an architectural, design firm primarily based in Vienna, Austria. Their name can be interpreted either as “blue sky Cooperative”(Coop Himmelblau) or “Heaven Construction Cooperative”(Coop Himmelbau). The firm was founded by Wolf Prix, Helmut Swiczinsky and Michael Holzer and gained international acclaim with the 1988 exhibition, “Deconstructivist Architecture” at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. According to their standards, architects must mix different mediums such as models, 3-d modeling, drawing and parametric tools in order to create the unexpected; “architecture must blaze”, is one of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s mottos.
An other sample of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s architecture can be found outside of the Gasometer B, located in the 11th district of Vienna.
Classical or modern, gothic or contemporary, like Victor Hugo once wrote, “architecture has recorded the great ideas of the human race. Not only every religious symbol, but every human though has its pages in that vast book.” Architecture is a present proof of the evolution of humanity.
