Friedensreich Hundertwasser is one of the most iconic Austrian artists of the 20th century. He is an artist, sculptor, and architect. His real name is Friedrich Stovasser. Hundertwasser has a unique style, characterized by extremely curved and irrational shapes, amazing colors and lots of vegetation. These are the main points of his architecture. In his hometown of Vienna, you can see three places named after him – a house, a village, and the Hundertwasser Museum. Check out some helpful tips for visiting these unique places.
See more Top Attractions in Vienna
The Hundertwasser House
The Hundertwasser House is a residential building in the Austrian capital Vienna. You can find it in the city’s 3rd quarter, at 36-38 Kegelgas Str. Its design is a work-of-art, made by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Initially, the building provoked mixed feelings among the locals, but today it is among the most famous tourist places in the city.
The House dates back from the period 1983-1985, though its building began without preliminary plans and drawings. It houses apartments, shops, garages, even a doctor’s office, a winter garden, and two playgrounds.
The facade of the strange building features colored ceramic tiles, broken mirrors and asymmetrical windows. The floors are wavy, covered with colored pebbles. One of the most impressive parts of the building is the roof, covered with 900 tons of soil. On top of the building, you can see lush vegetation and even real trees. This is completely in line with the Hundertwasser building’s concept for “A Home for Human Beings and Trees”. Unfortunately, you can only see the House only from the outside, as the place is private.
The Hundertwasser Village
Also created by the eccentric artist in the period 1990-1991. It is cross the street from the Hundertwasser House. The place was originally a tire factory, but as the strange building became a popular attraction, visitors wanted to get more from the eccentric artist’s visions. This is how the idea of the Hundertwasser village born. The design is a result of the architect’s imagination – adding new colors, forms and lots of vegetation. Today, it is a small forest, as there are about 30 trees, grown-up at more than 15 meters in height.
You can visit the Hundertwasser Village at 37-39 Kegelgasse. It attracts more than 1.2 million people a year. Tourists come to admire the extraordinary architecture of the buildings. The attraction is open 365 days a year, between 9 am and 6 pm and admission are free.
The Hundertwasser Museum
Another creation of the eccentric Austrian artist is the Hundertwasser Museum. It is close to the Hundertwasser House. The building features the artist’s philosophical and architectural principles. The Museum brings together the most important aspects of Hundertwasser’s creativity in the form of paintings, prints, tapestries, and architectural designs. This is Vienna’s first “green museum” and visitors can experience the visionary environmental awareness of the artist. You can see the underlying ideas of the unique design, greatly imposed by the trees planted on the facade and the roof of the building. The Museum often hosts impressive photo exhibitions, which you can see. Various activities take place in the building, organized for many visitors, such as children of different ages, school and university students, and adults. If you want to take a short break and get a quick breakfast or a tasty coffee, stop by the CAFÉ KUNST HAUS WIEN Museum Café.
What do you need to know before visiting the Hundertwasser Museum?
• To avoid long queues at the entrance, you can buy tickets online in advance.
How to get to the museum?
- Subway lines №3 and №4 to the Wien-Mitte stop, line №1 to Schwedplatz or line №2 to Praterstern.
- Tramline №1 and №0 to Radetzkyplatz.
Reduction benefits:
- Children under 10 enter free.
- Children and adolescents under 19 years old.
- Students under 26 years old.
- Family ticket – two adults and a maximum of 4 children under 19 years old.
- Groups of more than 10 people.
Tours
- Standard guided tour for an hour; free for individual visitors with a valid ticket in a group of up to 30 people.
- Paid guide tour according to your interests and preferences, requires reservation one week in advance.
- Paid audio guide available in German and English.
Accessibility
Disabled people and their companions, as well as guide dogs, are welcome in the museum. They all enter free. Due to the nature of the architecture of the museum, some sections may be difficult to access.
Tip: I recommend that you book in advance at nfo@kunsthauswien.com so that the museum staff can arrange for you a comfortable visit.
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Saint Stephen Cathedral
History of Art Museum
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City Hall
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