1898-1899
Otto Wagner
Vienna, Austria
Majolika Haus
copyright © Mary Ann Sullivan
Digital Imaging Project
Architect Otto Wagner was part of the "Viennese Secession" movement at the end of the 19th century, which was marked by a sort of revolutionary spirit of enlightenment. Wagner's architecture was a cross between traditional styles and Art Nouveau (or Jugendstil, as it was called in Austria) influences.
Otto Wagner's ornate Majolika Haus (Majolica House) is named after the weather-proof, painted ceramic floral designs on its façade. Despite its flat, rectilinear shape, the building is considered Art Nouveau. Wagner used new, modern materials and rich color, yet retained the traditional use of ornamentation. The eponymous majolica, decorative iron balconies, and flexible, S-shaped linear embellishment accentuate the building's structure. Today Majolika Haus has retail on the ground floor and apartments above.
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