Vienna Künstlerhaus
Encyclopedia
The Vienna Künstlerhaus is an art exhibition building in Vienna
. It is located on Karlsplatz
near the Ringstraße
, next to the Musikverein.
It was built between 1865 and 1868 by the Austrian Artists' Society (Gesellschaft bildender Künstler Österreichs, Künstlerhaus), the oldest surviving artists' society in Austria, and has served since then as an exhibition centre for painting, sculpture, architecture and applied art. Since 1947 it has also managed a cinema, which is used as one of the screening venues for the annual Viennale
film festival.
. Here, on the site of a guesthouse, Leopold Ernst had a Neo-Gothic
festival hall built (at a great loss) in 1847. The hall became the meeting place of the Society of Young Artists and Academics, which was founded in 1851 and later renamed the Albrecht Dürer Society.
In 1861 it merged with another artists' society, Eintracht, to form a new association representing Viennese painters, sculptures and architects: the Vienna Artists' Society. In 1868 the society moved into its current premises. In 1897 a number of modern artists seceded from the Künstlerhaus and founded the Vienna Secession
. In 1972 the society opened its membership to practitioners of applied art
, and in 1976 it was renamed the "Austrian Artists' Society, Künstlerhaus". Since 1983 it has included filmmakers and audio-visual artists among its members. Its limited company (Künstlerhaus-Ges. m. b. H.), founded in 1985, organises exhibitions both for the Künstlerhaus and for other museums and institutions.
were used, supplied by the Viennese firm Anton Wasserburger. Emperor Franz Joseph I
laid the keystone
.
Opened on 1 September 1868 – one of the earliest Ringstraße
buildings – it was designed in the style of an Italian Renaissance villa, after Jacopo Sansovino
, and initially stood on the banks of the Wien River, which still flowed openly at that time. It was significantly expanded as early as 1882, receiving a pair of side wings, which were later to house a cinema (from 1949) and a theatre (from 1974); also in 1882, it hosted the "First International Art Exhibition in the Künstlerhaus". The inner garden was given a roof in 1888.
In the 20th century it was speculated several times that the building, which was unusually low-rise for the Ringstraße area, was under pressure to be demolished or at least significantly rebuilt. For example, the "Kaym-Hetmanek Plan" in the early 1930s proposed to replace the historic pavilion with eight-storey apartment blocks. The recommendations of an architectural planning competition for Karlsplatz in 1946 made it clear that the city of Vienna already saw the Künstlerhaus, as well as the Office of Transport building, as expendable. In 1956–57 the Stiftersaal room underwent significant modernisation.
Another noteworthy incident was Karl Schwanzer's plan, in 1966, to build offices for IBM
on the site of the Künstlerhaus, which met with widespread disapproval among citizens and the media. The protests which had followed the decision to tear down the old Florianikirche the previous year may have contributed to the rethinking of this plan. However, plans have again been recently discussed to expand and rebuild the Künstlerhaus, so as to integrate it more closely into the "museum cluster" on Karlsplatz. For example, the result of an architecture competition from 1999, which envisaged the addition of two new buildings, was proposed anew by the architect Beppo Mauhart in July 2010.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. It is located on Karlsplatz
Karlsplatz
Karlsplatz is a town square on the border of the first and fourth districts of Vienna. It is one of the most frequented and best connected transportation hubs in Vienna. The Karlskirche is located here....
near the Ringstraße
Ringstraße
The Ringstraße is a circular road surrounding the Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria and is one of its main sights...
, next to the Musikverein.
It was built between 1865 and 1868 by the Austrian Artists' Society (Gesellschaft bildender Künstler Österreichs, Künstlerhaus), the oldest surviving artists' society in Austria, and has served since then as an exhibition centre for painting, sculpture, architecture and applied art. Since 1947 it has also managed a cinema, which is used as one of the screening venues for the annual Viennale
Viennale
The Vienna International Film Festival, or Viennale, is a film festival taking place every October since 1960 in Vienna, Austria.The average number of visitors is about 75,000. Traditional cinema venues are Gartenbaukino, Urania, Metro-Kino, Filmmuseum and Stadtkino...
film festival.
History of the society
The society has its roots in the suburb of Laimgrube, now part of MariahilfMariahilf
Mariahilf is the 6th municipal district of Vienna, Austria . It is near the center of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850. Mariahilf is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings....
. Here, on the site of a guesthouse, Leopold Ernst had a Neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
festival hall built (at a great loss) in 1847. The hall became the meeting place of the Society of Young Artists and Academics, which was founded in 1851 and later renamed the Albrecht Dürer Society.
In 1861 it merged with another artists' society, Eintracht, to form a new association representing Viennese painters, sculptures and architects: the Vienna Artists' Society. In 1868 the society moved into its current premises. In 1897 a number of modern artists seceded from the Künstlerhaus and founded the Vienna Secession
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists, housed in the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This movement included painters, sculptors, and architects...
. In 1972 the society opened its membership to practitioners of applied art
Applied art
Applied art is the application of design and aesthetics to objects of function and everyday use. Whereas fine arts serve as intellectual stimulation to the viewer or academic sensibilities, the applied arts incorporate design and creative ideals to objects of utility, such as a cup, magazine or...
, and in 1976 it was renamed the "Austrian Artists' Society, Künstlerhaus". Since 1983 it has included filmmakers and audio-visual artists among its members. Its limited company (Künstlerhaus-Ges. m. b. H.), founded in 1985, organises exhibitions both for the Künstlerhaus and for other museums and institutions.
History of the building
The architect of the building was August Weber (1836–1903). Several types of Austrian stoneStonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
were used, supplied by the Viennese firm Anton Wasserburger. Emperor Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
laid the keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
.
Opened on 1 September 1868 – one of the earliest Ringstraße
Ringstraße
The Ringstraße is a circular road surrounding the Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria and is one of its main sights...
buildings – it was designed in the style of an Italian Renaissance villa, after Jacopo Sansovino
Jacopo Sansovino
Jacopo d'Antonio Sansovino was an Italian sculptor and architect, known best for his works around the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Andrea Palladio, in the Preface to his Quattro Libri was of the opinion that Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana was the best building erected since Antiquity...
, and initially stood on the banks of the Wien River, which still flowed openly at that time. It was significantly expanded as early as 1882, receiving a pair of side wings, which were later to house a cinema (from 1949) and a theatre (from 1974); also in 1882, it hosted the "First International Art Exhibition in the Künstlerhaus". The inner garden was given a roof in 1888.
In the 20th century it was speculated several times that the building, which was unusually low-rise for the Ringstraße area, was under pressure to be demolished or at least significantly rebuilt. For example, the "Kaym-Hetmanek Plan" in the early 1930s proposed to replace the historic pavilion with eight-storey apartment blocks. The recommendations of an architectural planning competition for Karlsplatz in 1946 made it clear that the city of Vienna already saw the Künstlerhaus, as well as the Office of Transport building, as expendable. In 1956–57 the Stiftersaal room underwent significant modernisation.
Another noteworthy incident was Karl Schwanzer's plan, in 1966, to build offices for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
on the site of the Künstlerhaus, which met with widespread disapproval among citizens and the media. The protests which had followed the decision to tear down the old Florianikirche the previous year may have contributed to the rethinking of this plan. However, plans have again been recently discussed to expand and rebuild the Künstlerhaus, so as to integrate it more closely into the "museum cluster" on Karlsplatz. For example, the result of an architecture competition from 1999, which envisaged the addition of two new buildings, was proposed anew by the architect Beppo Mauhart in July 2010.
Further reading
- Wilhelm Rüdiger (editor): Junge Kunst im Deutschen Reich. Ehrlich & Schmidt, Vienna, 1943.
- Wladimir Aichelburg: Das Wiener Künstlerhaus 1861 - 2001 (Volume 1). Vienna, 2003.
- Robert Schediwy: . Münster, 2004 / Vienna, 2005.