Vienna around 1900
is the seedbed for an architectural style that culminated
in the functionalism of Adolf Loos and played a crucial
role in the development of the language of architectural
modernism and postmodernism in the twentieth century. Max
Fabiani's, Josef Maria Hofmann's, Josef Maria Olbrich's,
Josef Plecnik's, and Otto Wagner's buildings, interior
designs, and civic projects are examples of the
experimentalism and spirited debates that characterized
this period. Modern architecture, as defined by Otto
Wagner in his guidebook for students, was an extremely
progressive program that responded to the demands of
modern life and a functionalist acknowledgment of
technical demands. Modern Architecture appeared in 1896
and outlined an approach to design that would become
synonymous with twentieth century practice. Instead of
the historicist eclecticism that characterized the proud
monument of the Ringstrasse, Wagner was convinced that
the departure point for the architectural work of his age
can only be modern life. Wagner dispensed with formal
elements and an abundance of plastic decoration that had
characterized nineteenth century architecture. His Postal
Savings Bank, for example, from 1911-1912 is
characterized by smooth wall dressings that lend
aesthetic justification to his argument that the "modern
eye" has lost its sense for a small and intimate scale
and become accustomed to longer straight lines, to more
expansive surfaces, and to plainer silhouetting. The
majolica sheathing on the façade of the apartment
house on Linke Wienzeile 40 serves a spatial divider
apppropriate for the image of the modern
metropolis.
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