Happy Birthday, Adolf Loos

Adolf Loos, the Viennese architect who taught the virtues of simplicity and functionality, was born in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) on December 10, 1870. His father was a stone mason and Loos worked at the trade before becoming an architect.

Loos is better known for his ideas than his buildings. In his essay "Ornament & Crime" (compare prices) Loos compared architectural decoration to human passions that lead to sin. His Goldman and Salatsch Building shown here was criticized for being so plain.

^{Photo © Mary Ann Sullivan, Digital Imaging Project}