Villa Wagner I, Vienna, Austria.1886-1888; Early 20th Century Pioneers

Villa Wagner I, Vienna, Austria.1886-1888; Early 20th Century Pioneers




The Villas were designed and constructed by modernist architect, Otto Wagner in Hüttelbergstraße 26, district fourteen of Vienna, lower eastern Austria. This heavily wooded part of the Alps, also known as Penzing, is the home of both Villas, which happen to occupy adjacent lots. The first Villa, larger than the second, was constructed between 1886 and 1888, founding of the Secession the year after. The Villas were constructed by Otto to be residences, but now the original Villa is owned by the heirs of painter Ernst Fuchs. Villa Wagner I is known today as the Ernst Fuchs Private Museum (Unknown, "Wagner Villa I and II"). 

 When Wagner began construction of the first Villa, he intended to make this place a center of relaxation and somewhere where his family could rest. It has some relationship to the nearby Hütteldorf forest, with the first villa at the end of it (Unknown, "Wagner Villa I and II"). The symmetry that takes place here is dominant, essentially displaying Palladian characteristics. It does this in the design when acknowledging contemporary trends known in architecture, such as the as the iron railings in grand staircases. When the structure was designed, it proposed to dominate the central block and was composed of modular sections. The orthogonal square shape contains a centralized balcony and is flanked laterally by two pergolas. The pergolas form a horizontal trelliswork supported by four large vertical members. Shortly after construction of these pergolas was finished, they were closed off to expand and become an elongated rectangular interior volume (Unknown, "Wagner Villa I and II"). The cornice accentuates and excessive rectangular pattern, which are reflected into proportionally smaller rectangles. This choice of design acts as ornamental part between the rest. 

  In 1972, Villa Wagner I was at the verge of demolition, but fortunate to be saved by Ernst Fuchs. After he acquired the structure, Ernst worked on restoring and renovating it, to the best of his abilities. In the process, he focused on keeping the integrity of Wagner’s design approaches. On the other hand, he realized the interior was a bit too reserved for his taste, so he proceeded to design furnishings and any detail to enhance its internal beauty (Unknown, "The Ernst Fuchs Museum"). Two of the levels in the building accommodate serving program that include salons, a dining room, a Roman bath and a garden. The combination of Ernst's artistic choices and Otto's bold style captivate a cohesion of parallels and continuities (Cacao, "Inside Otto Wagner Villa and Ernst Fuchs Museum"). 

  In summary, the Villa emulates the classical ideas and academic experience of Wagner, first showing through in his use of linearity and thought process of modular components (Widder; Oechlin, pg102). This is later expressed in his future designs, as well. 
              Cacao, Barbara. "Inside Otto Wagner Villa and Ernst Fuchs Museum." Vienna Unwrapped. https://www.vienna-unwrapped.com/otto-wagner-villa/
              Author, Unknown. "Wagner Villa I and II." Wikiarquitectura. https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/wagner-villa-i-and-ii/
              Author, Unknown. "The Ernst Fuchs Museum." Ernst Fuchs Museum.
http://www.ernstfuchsmuseum.at/index.php?id=3
               Widder, Lynette & Oechlin, Werner. Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos, and the Road to Modern Architecture. Cambridge University Press. July, 01, 2002. 

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