ARCH162

Emilia Kightley-Sutter Steiner’s House is located in a suburb outside Vienna, Austria. The architect Adolf Loos’ career really kicked off after he designed and constructed the Steiner House since this layout was widely accepted compared to his earlier work. It was a prime example of rational architecture, he starts with main volumes and follows the regulations of classical architecture and building codes. Loos had to keep strict planning adjustments in mind while forming a concept for this house. There were rigid building codes, such as only being allowed once facade facing the street and a window being built into a sloping roof. This building signified modern architecture to other architects in the 1920’s and 30’s, the structure also proved Loos as a distinct modern architect within and outside the city of Vienna. The Steiner House was designed for painter Lily Steiner and her husband Hugo, the main plan was to maximize spatial elements without disturbing building regulations. One f...

Austrian Postal Savings Bank, Otto Wagner, (Vienna, Austria); 1903 - 1912; Early 20th Century Pioneers Also known as K.K. Postsparkassenamt and Die Österreichische Postsparkasse, the Postal Savings Bank is often cited as architect Otto Wagner's most important work. In its design, Wagner accomplishes beauty with functional simplicity, setting the tone for modernism. British architect and historian Kenneth Frampton has described the exterior this way: "...  the Post Office Savings Bank resembles a gargantuan metal box, an effect due in no small measure to the thin polished sheets of white Sterzing marble that are anchored to its façade with aluminum rivets. Its glazed canopy frame, entrance doors, balustrade and parapet rail are also of aluminum, as are the metal furnishings of the banking hall itself. " — Kenneth Frampton The "modernism" of the architecture is Wagner's use of traditional stone materials (marble) held in place by new buildin...

The Rufer House ( Vienna, Austria ) 1922       The Rufer house was designed by architect Adolf loos. He was an Austrian and Czech architect and influential theorist. The house was designed for Josef and Mar ie   Rufer.   Josef Rufer was an Austrian musicologist.  This house was considered to be the first example of   Raumplan   which is a planning method based on discreet rooms. The house is considered like a cube with internal space of 10m by 10m. The exterior walls are load bearing which leaves the interior walls to partition space. A column runs through the whole house hiding the plumbing and also acts as framing for the second floor.  This system allows structural minimize   internal dividing walls, being replaced by thin walls.      The main entrance of the house is on ground level, slightly elevated above the natural ground level, giving access to the hall. The upper floors are   access ed   b...

Arch 162-M12 Spring 2018 The Secession Building in Vienna, Austria is an art gallery originally intended for Secession group. The Secession group consisted primarily of artist and a few architects. Originally the group was very small and consisted of seven people, they were known as club of seven. As they grew more tired of the major art galleries not giving them the opportunity to exhibit their work as it was seen too unpleasing to the eye. So here were these artists trying express their modernist and impressionist work but getting denied of having it publicly displayed. The Secession group formed shortly after a few incognito exhibitions among the artists and started to gain traction with other artists and architects. The leader of the group was Gustav Klimt as he was in his prime time it seemed like the correct position to assume. Klimt rose to fame as a decorator of buildings as well as his panel painting which won him the Emperors prize which brought a lot of attention to h...