Hundertwasser House, Vienna

A relatively recent addition to Vienna's architectural heritage, the Hundertwasser House is a great example of 20th-century urban experimentation. If the surrounding architecture whispers "classical elegance," this one belts out "psychedelic daydream" through a megaphone!!!

Sitting as an antithetical statement about what architecture can be鈥攁 sort of riotous rebuttal to boring buildings鈥� this gloriously eclectic (if not, say, surreal) block of flats explodes with color and curve. From a distance, it looks almost like a lovechild of Gaud铆, a Lego set, and a fever dream combined. Consisting of a frenzy of oriel windows, loggias, gilded onion domes, ceramic columns, glass sparkles, roof gardens鈥攁nd yes, even a salvaged slice of what stood here before 1983鈥攊t鈥檚 part sculpture, part protest, and part urban jungle. A rainbow having a rave, basically...

Designed in 1985 by the ever-unconventional, avant-garde artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, this idiosyncratic building was his answer to what he perceived as the rather soulless modern concrete monotony sprouting across Vienna's suburbs. Further to his credit, and just to make sure his message landed, Hundertwasser refused payment for his work, declaring that the investment was worth it to "prevent something ugly from going up in its place". Mission absolutely accomplished...

So, whenever you're in Vienna, make sure to swing by this photogenic rebel鈥攑ure architectural exuberance, gleefully thumbing its nose at the capital鈥檚 polished palaces and baroque facades. Because your eyes deserve a holiday too...

Tip:
While the building itself is residential鈥攕o no snooping inside is possible鈥攁cross the street you鈥檒l find Hundertwasser Village. Open daily, from 9 am to 6 pm, this is a quirky marketplace-turned-art piece with shops, caf茅s, and enough eccentricity to keep your camera and curiosity well-fed.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Vienna. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Hundertwasser House
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Vienna's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour I

Walking Tours in Vienna, Austria

Create Your Own Walk in Vienna

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Vienna's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour I

Vienna鈥檚 flirtation with Art Nouveau鈥攌nown locally as Jugendstil鈥攗nfolded in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. The so-called Vienna Secession movement, which emerged in 1897, was led by a group of rebellious artists and architects like Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, and Koloman Moser, who turned their backs on historicism in favor of bold, modern aesthetics. As the new language for buildings,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles

Vienna Old Town Walking Tour

Vienna鈥檚 Old Town鈥攖he historic core of Austria鈥檚 capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site鈥攊s where cobblestones gossip, rooftops sparkle, and emperors still seem to whisper from the walls. Indeed, this is the kind of place where every alley seems to have a PhD in European history.

Once wrapped in medieval walls鈥攂efore they rolled out the grand Ringstrasse boulevard in the 19th... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles

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