Otto Wagner

This month we are celebrating the birthday of Otto Wagner (1841-1918), Austrian architect and designer, whose work can be seen all over Vienna. He spanned a transitional period between the floral and flowing Art Nouveau style and the pared back lines of Modernism.

His buildings such as Karlsplatz and Majolikahaus define the Vienna Secessionist style. As part of the Secessionist movement, Wagner influenced pupils who would go on to become masters of their own design disciplines, such as Josef Hoffmann.

Wagner was an avid urban planner and designed many functional buildings such as railway stations and bridges, which were more subtly ornamented compared to his earlier works.

His simpler style is evident in the Postsparkassenamt (Postal savings bank), which is an icon of Viennese Modernism.