Description of the attraction
The so-called "House without Eyebrows" is a famous building in Vienna, considered one of the central buildings of Viennese modernism.
In 1909, the Jewish banker Leopold Goldstein hired the Austrian architect Adolf Loos (1870-1933) to build a commercial building on Michaelerplatz (next to the Imperial Palace, in the city center) for his venture. Ernst Epstein was appointed project manager, and the construction was carried out by Pittel & Brausewetter. The building was opened in 1911 and immediately caused a big scandal due to the too simple facade. Above the windows of the building there was no stucco molding traditional for that time, the so-called cornices, which made the building more spectacular and rich. Because of this, the Viennese society immediately called the creation of Adolf Loos "a house without eyebrows." The general public unanimously demanded the demolition of the building, and Emperor Franz Joseph I refused to enter the imperial palace from the side of Michaelerplatz, just not to see such an ugly house. They say he even began to curtain the windows overlooking the "house without eyebrows."
Adolf Loos himself was opposed to all kinds of architectural decorations, insisting that only the functionality of the building is of decisive importance. "House without eyebrows" has become his trademark. Despite his radical views, Loos met the requests of those around him and ennobled the facade by hanging flower boxes.
In 1947, the house was recognized as an architectural monument and was taken under protection. In 1960, a furniture store was located in the building. In 1987, Raiffeisen Bank bought the building. Since 2002, the House without Eyebrows has also hosted the cultural organization Adolf Loos Design Zone by Paolo Piva. It hosts international exhibitions, discusses world events in the field of design and architecture.
