Visions and ideas

Otto Wagner is one of the most important representatives of Art Nouveau. He is meant to be the founder of modern architecture and had a big influence to the following development in architecture.

His motto was:
“Something Unpractical can not be beautiful.”
“Größtmögliche Bequemlichkeit und größtmögliche Reinlichkeit. Alle Versuche, welche diese Postulate nicht berücksichtigen, liefern nur Wertloses, und alle Kunsterzeugnisse, welche diesen Regeln nicht entsprechen, erweisen sich als nicht lebensfähig.” (Quote)

Otto Wagner was against decorations and useless constructions. Many of his students followed his style of architecture. Some of them became very famous, like Josef Hoffmann, Josef Maria Olbrich and Jože Plečnik.

Otto Wagner was meant to be a very important person for Austria, his portrait was shown on the 500 Schilling bill.