There are a few things I look forward to experience when I travel: the city’s food, street art, and architecture.
Everywhere I go, I’ve always appreciated uniquely-designed houses and buildings, because to me they speak so much of the city’s artistic heritage.
When I visited Vienna last spring, therefore, one of the places I made sure to see was the Vienna art house, known as The Hundertwasser House.
Designed by famed Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this apartment building comprises over 50 residential units, and was Hundertwasser’s idea of incorporating nature into architecture. It reportedly features trees inside the rooms with the limbs going out through the windows during summer. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to go inside, which is really quite a pity.
Welcome to Hundertwasser Village!
It was fine to stay outside, though. The building’s facade was more than enough to feast on: the windows were distinctly and differently colored and designed; Hundertwasser wanted the owners to decorate their window as they see fit.
The ground outside was deliberately left uneven too, giving the impression of lampposts growing from the earth.
The Hundertwasser House as seen from the road.
Residents of Hundertwasser House were free to decorate their windows.
You’d probably think: why wasn’t the ground leveled? And it’s not just outside; the floors inside were said to be left uneven too, because Hundertwasser believed that “an uneven floor is a melody to the feet.” He said that the flat ground we are used to is made by architects; it subdues rather than nourishes the soul.
When the floor is left as is, with its natural undulating shape, the people will have the opportunity to reconnect with the earth, and mental equilibrium is regained.
Hundertwasser liked to keep the ground uneven.
I don’t know exactly how that works out, but aesthetically speaking, it seems to work.
Seeing the artistic housing project brought to mind another great artist who converted his ideas into architecture: Spain’s Antoni Gaudi. Like the Austrian artist, Gaudi, too, had a very distinctive style, incorporating the shape and feel of nature into his works.
Of course, Gaudi’s creations were admittedly grander; I was told that once you have seen his Sagrada Familia, you will never forget it. Someday I definitely hope to visit Barcelona!
The beautiful facade of Hundertwasser House.
Unlike Gaudi, though, Hundertwasser was no architect, so the city assigned him two–Joseph Krawina and Peter Pelikan–to work with him and translate his ideas into reality. Together with the artist, they created a housing project that’s definitely one of the must-sees in Vienna and one of the cultural heritage in Austria.
It was spring when I was there, so there weren’t a lot of people. Despite the still-dead vegetation on the building’s walls, it still looked wonderful, like a creation straight out of a storybook. What did it feel like to live here? To go out of your apartment and see all the tourists gawking, taking pictures, and posing in front of the place that you go home to?
Vegetation is left to proliferate on the building’s walls.
Would you even want to live there? Or in any of the buildings that Antoni Gaudi designed? (He designed more than just buildings, though. Gaudi’s churches and parks are wonderful works of art!) After all, when your home is one of your country’s cultural heritage, it’s not exactly yours. It’s the city’s and it belongs to the people.
Some tourists outside the art house.
Still, if given the chance, I would definitely love to live in this art house and experience firsthand the genius that was Hundertwasser.
How about you? Would you live in a building like this?
18 Comments. Leave new
Hi Aleah, for some reason, I am not seeing your photos.
@ Chanel: It looks lovelier during the summer months, I was told 🙂
Those apartment buildings really are spectacular – never seen anything like it! 😀
@ Kara: Thanks. I want to find more houses/buildings like this in my travels.
Definitely an interesting and eccentric in a good way place! =D
I definitely loved the idea of the owner, and how he really tried to preserve nature and let people experience being one with nature. Brilliant mind indeed! This is a very interesting and informative blog. =)
@ Gelo: You’d have a lot of fun here as a photographer. Lots of little details to focus on. Too bad I didn’t do justice to the pics!
those structures are so quaint! makes me think it costs a fortune to live or to have an office there. the colors aren’t that vibrant but attractive enough to draw attention. everything’s on the details -the bizaare architecture and yes, i love those cobblestone street! 🙂
@ Inside Journeys: Natural reflexology; that’s nice, Marcia. Maybe that’s why the architect said it would restore balance. Hmmm….
@ Fifi: Umm…dormitory and student activities? This is a residential apartment.
it looks like a cute village with cute and youthful buildings. it kind of reminds me of a college campus area, with dorms and student activities. it looks like a fun place to hang out at.
Love that house. It definitely reminded me of Gaudi, it’s so organic. Yes, I’d live there.
The undulating floors would take some getting used to though. Must be perfect for walking barefoot — natural reflexology.
@ Kris: Yeah, it does, doesn’t it? I think the uneven floors would also take getting used to 🙂
@ Mary: Come to think of it, it does look straight of a Dr Seuss book! How nice eh?
Awesome! This is such a great concept and a wonderful looking building. Gaudi and Dr. Seuss definitely come to mind. Bookmarking it for future Vienna visit. I love the sidewalks too and now I’m off to Google how the inside looks. I would love to live in a tourist attraction like this. Just seeing it every time I come home would make me smile 🙂
This digs look wunderbar, Aleah! Thansk you for telling us about it. The photos look great. I would most certainly love to see inside, but as far as living in a place with uneven floors – um… I don’t think so. I’m so clumsy I will mos def stub my toe with every step. It definitely looks “trippy”.
@ Salika Jay: Loved the artistry too. Unfortunately, most locals are indifferent to it haha
@ Jan: Yeah they had trees growing even in the roof. I bet it would look amazing too during summer.
Wow Aleah, What an incredible place. Are those trees growing on the roof? I think it would look amazing when all the vegetation was growing. It looks a bit scary with no leaves on the trees. I too would love to go inside – the uneven floors would take some getting used to. What would it be like to live in a building that is a tourist attraction? I cannot decide.
Food and architecture are some of the main things I look for as well, and these architectures are beyond amazing! I love the uneven ground and decorated house fronts. Very artistic. Thanks for the great post, Aleah!