Assignment :- 3

SUB: HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

SUBMITTED BY :- PRAVEEN SINGH SUBMITTED TO:- AR. ADITI MANN

18BAR1115
4TH (B)
Otto Wagner :-
AUSTRIAN ARCHITECT
Born in July 13, 1841, penzing, near Vienna—died April 11, 1918, Vienna,
Austrian architect and teacher, generally held to be a founder and leader
of the modern movement in European architecture.
 Wagner’s early work was in the already-established Neo-Renaissance
style. In 1893 his general plan (never executed) for Vienna won a major
competition, and in 1894 he was appointed academy professor.
 As a teacher, Wagner soon broke with tradition by insisting on function,
material, and structure as the bases of architectural design. Among his
notable works in the art nouveau style are a number of stations for the
elevated and underground City Railway of Vienna (1894–97) and
the Postal Savings Bank (1904–06). The latter, which had little
decoration, is recognized as a milestone in the history of modern
architecture, particularly for the curving glass roof of its central hall.
 Phylosophies of otto wagner :-
To understand Otto Wagner's impact on architecture, we need to understand the
world he grew up in. Wagner lived in Vienna throughout the second half of the 19th
century, a time in which architecture was going through an interesting trend. The
style of the era was revivalism, in which historical styles were emulated in new
buildings. There was a period of neo-Classicism, a neo-Gothic trend, and revivals of
various colonial styles. In this era, architecture was highly defined by its stylistic
appearance. It was ornate, detailed, and decorative.
In the later parts of the 19th century, Otto Wagner began speaking openly against
the revivalist movements of his day. He claimed that these highly eclectic styles
were too focused on the form of buildings, rather than their function. He compiled his
ideas into a book called Modern Architecture, published in 1896. In Modern
Architecture, Wagner called for an end to revivalist designs and proposed new ideas
based on the emerging materials and techniques made possible by new technology Otto Wagner
at the end of the century. He claimed that the world was changing, and that it
needed new styles of architecture to represent the intellectual and practical needs of
modern people. Modern Architecture would become one of the most influential texts
in architecture, codifying the ideas of similarly-minded architects around the globe
like America's Louis Sullivan and Scotland's Rennie Mackintosh. It represented the
advent of modernist thinking.
 The Vienna City Railway:-
Otto Wagner's book set the intellectual tone for modern architecture, but he contributed
more to the cause than just theory. As a modernist architect, Wagner believed strongly in
stressing the function of architecture as being more important than form or style. This is
evident in his designs for the city railway of Vienna. A masterpiece of practical and
functional design based on the most advanced technology of the time, Wagner's plan
helped cement the use of modernist ideas in urban planning.
His railway stations along this route also helped establish the stylistic aesthetic of early
modernist architecture. Wagner's stations are largely completed in the style of Art
Nouveau, defined by curvilinear and softly angular forms, organic motifs, and geometric
designs. In Germany and Austria, this style was often called Jugendstil. It broke from the
revivalism of the 19th century, seeking inspiration not in the past but in modern technology.
Changing industrial technology of the late 19th century made it possible for to use new
materials like steel and plate glass in smoother, softer ways. Before, these materials often
appeared in angular, sharp patterns that reflected the harsh but productive industrial era.
Art Nouveau was softer, emphasizing technical craftsmanship and skill and thus rejecting
the 19th-century obsession with pre-fabricated parts. The organic motifs also represented
a harmonious relationship between humans and industrial technology. It was a new style
for a new industrial culture, and is seen as one of the main predecessors for the true
modernist style.
The majolica house, vienna:-

The so-called Majolica house is the inspiration of the legendary

architect and designer Otto Wagner during his secessionist
phase of design. The name of the building derives from the
flowing flower motifs on the tiled outside façade that embellish
the place with beautiful shades of green, blue and pink.
Wagner made this new style of architecture famous for its
simple, yet elegant design. Exterior walls were left smooth and
flat, and windows typically became less ordained than in
previous Viennese styles of architecture. The simple, clean look
was meant, in some fashion, to be representative of how clean
and simple the apartment complexes were on the inside.
Despite its rectangular shape, the beautifully maintained
building was and still is considered an Art Nouveau masterpiece
today.
Architecture features:-

 An entire facade built of small ceramic tiles, also known as majolica,

flow into floral shapes as the extend higher up the wall.
 Other materials used in the exterior finishing include iron and
wooden frames for the windows, in a perimeter block and infill
building type.
The two apartment complexes both built in the same period and in the center
of Vienna were initially rejected as being hideous beyond measure.
These apartments rest side-by-side, and together form an incomparably
unparalleled and detailed Secessionist wall, which separates the dwellings and

.
shops from the street
With a basic ironwork form, the two bottom floors are treated as a base
which extends the presence of the shops up throughout the second level.
This style of "Viennese Secession" was marked by a characteristically revolutionary
spirit of enlightenment, and was considered to be Art Nouveau even despite its flat
and rectilinear shapes. Through Wagner's manipulation of static materials that were
rich in color, the architect was able to retain traditional meanings of
ornamentation.
THANKS