Medallion House, Vienna
The shimmering show-off known as the Medallion House is a golden gem in Vienna鈥檚 Secessionist crown. Designed by none other than Otto Wagner and completed in 1899, this apartment block stands shoulder to shoulder with its equally flamboyant sibling, the Majolica House, in a dazzling display of architectural one-upmanship.
Why 鈥淢edallion House鈥�? Because of the bling, of course. The name comes from the gilded stucco medallions designed by Wagner鈥檚 prot茅g茅 and frequent partner-in-aesthetic-crime, Koloman Moser. Unlike Majolica鈥檚 garden-party palette of pinks, blues, and greens, the Medallion House prefers to go full glam鈥攇old rules the fa莽ade, and not just the front. Since the building is on a corner, Moser didn鈥檛 stop there鈥攈e decked out the entire length like it was going to a fashion gala.
The medallions feature serene, statuesque women flanked by palm leaves and floral swirls, a cocktail of classical inspiration and Art Nouveau flair. And if that wasn鈥檛 theatrical enough, look up. Higher... There, atop the roof, you鈥檒l find "The Criers" (or "The Crying Women" if you like), sculpted by Othmar Schimkowitz, who was no stranger to dramatic rooftops鈥攈e also did the angels for Otto Wagner鈥檚 Postal Savings Bank. These windswept figures seem to wail into the skyline, giving the whole building a kind of high-stakes opera vibe.
Wagner had big dreams for this stretch of the street鈥攗rban housing with style, edge, and plenty of Instagram appeal, a century before filters were a thing. In 1914, the Medallion House became the property of the Kohn family. But during World War II, the building was seized after the family was forced into exile. Justice prevailed in 1947, when the Kohns successfully reclaimed their home.
Today, the Medallion House doesn鈥檛 just star on postcards鈥攊t graces an actual 鈧�100 gold coin. And in true Viennese fashion, it currently houses... a bank. Because nothing says 鈥渁ustere financial institution鈥� quite like a fa莽ade dripping in gold and silent drama queens on the roof.
So, next time you're wandering the Naschmarkt side of town, look up. The Medallion House doesn鈥檛 just whisper history鈥攊t practically sings it from the rooftops.
Why 鈥淢edallion House鈥�? Because of the bling, of course. The name comes from the gilded stucco medallions designed by Wagner鈥檚 prot茅g茅 and frequent partner-in-aesthetic-crime, Koloman Moser. Unlike Majolica鈥檚 garden-party palette of pinks, blues, and greens, the Medallion House prefers to go full glam鈥攇old rules the fa莽ade, and not just the front. Since the building is on a corner, Moser didn鈥檛 stop there鈥攈e decked out the entire length like it was going to a fashion gala.
The medallions feature serene, statuesque women flanked by palm leaves and floral swirls, a cocktail of classical inspiration and Art Nouveau flair. And if that wasn鈥檛 theatrical enough, look up. Higher... There, atop the roof, you鈥檒l find "The Criers" (or "The Crying Women" if you like), sculpted by Othmar Schimkowitz, who was no stranger to dramatic rooftops鈥攈e also did the angels for Otto Wagner鈥檚 Postal Savings Bank. These windswept figures seem to wail into the skyline, giving the whole building a kind of high-stakes opera vibe.
Wagner had big dreams for this stretch of the street鈥攗rban housing with style, edge, and plenty of Instagram appeal, a century before filters were a thing. In 1914, the Medallion House became the property of the Kohn family. But during World War II, the building was seized after the family was forced into exile. Justice prevailed in 1947, when the Kohns successfully reclaimed their home.
Today, the Medallion House doesn鈥檛 just star on postcards鈥攊t graces an actual 鈧�100 gold coin. And in true Viennese fashion, it currently houses... a bank. Because nothing says 鈥渁ustere financial institution鈥� quite like a fa莽ade dripping in gold and silent drama queens on the roof.
So, next time you're wandering the Naschmarkt side of town, look up. The Medallion House doesn鈥檛 just whisper history鈥攊t practically sings it from the rooftops.
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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Medallion House on Map
Sight Name: Medallion House
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Vienna, Austria
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Creating your own self-guided walk in Vienna is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
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Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
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Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Vienna's Historical Music Venues
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Among the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Among the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
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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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
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
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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
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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