Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The house without eyebrows

In 1909 the Jewish banker Leopold Goldstein commissioned the Austrian architect Adolf Loos (1870-1933) to construct a commercial building on Michaelerplatz (right next to the Imperial Palace, in the city center) for his enterprise. The building was opened in 1911 and caused a great scandal because of its, at that time, unusual plain facade without shutters, mantle stones or other ornaments. The general public demanded the demolition of the so-called "house without eyebrows" and Emperor Franz Joseph I refused to enter the Imperial Palace from Michaelerplatz ever again. In 1947 the Loos Haus was declared a historic monument. Since 1987 it is in possession of the Raiffeisen bank. (I took this photo two weeks ago when there was still Indian summer...)

1 comment:

  1. Nice photo and interesting info about this building. Funny how people's perspectives change over time, be it regarding architecture, music, fashion, etc.

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