Hundertwasserhaus

You might happen to be walking along a street in district 3 of Vienna, look up and think ‘Have I ended up in Spain? That house looks like a Miro painting!”. Let us reassure you that you haven’t teleported: what has caught your eye is the colourful Hundertwasserhaus, Vienna’s most famous residential house.

You will find it at Kegelgasse 36-38 and you will have no difficulty recognising it: this masterpiece of contemporary architecture is an exuberance of bright colours, curved lines and trees growing on the walls. It was designed by Freidensreich Hundertwasser, an extraordinary 20th century Austrian artist, in collaboration with architects Josef Krawina and Peter Pelikan.

This “house in harmony with nature”, as its author himself called it, is an exceptional photographic subject to visit in order to liven up your holiday in Vienna, to discover the modern side of this elegant city and to get to know an artist who was able to render the modern issues of sustainability in his works.

Who is Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Freidensreich Hundertwasser is the pseudonym by which Friedrich Stowasser (1928-2000), one of the most influential Austrian artists of the 20th century, signed his name: a charismatic and controversial figure, animated by a fervent ecologism, he was a painter, sculptor and architect.

His work is characterised by innovative solutions, especially in the field of architecture, in which he anticipated certain concepts of bio-architecture. Absence of straight lines and bright colours are the hallmarks of this artist to whom the current of transautomatism can be traced.

Visit to the Hundertwasserhaus

Since it is a residential building that is still inhabited today, it is not possible to visit the Hundertwasserhaus inside: you will have to admire it from the outside, but we assure you that it is enough to fill you with wonder.

Take some time to admire the Hundertwasserhaus as a whole, then pay attention to the small details that make it so special. If you are a photography enthusiast, you can take home some great shots!

Nothing forbids you from having a coffee at Kunst und Café, the café on the ground floor of the Hundertwasserhaus. Stick around to find out more about the brilliant artist Freidensreich Hundertwasser by visiting the Hundertwasser Village and the Kunst House.

Hundertwasser Village

Just a few steps from the famous house is the Hundertwasser Village, a very special shopping centre designed by Hundertwasser and opened to the public in 1991.

The village comprises a central square, a café and numerous shops, all in the typical Hundertwasser style: with his visionary ideas and love of creativity Hundertwasser succeeded in transforming a former car tyre factory into a genuine work of art.

Forget the banal shopping malls with their ever-changing international chain shops, neon lights and loud music: here you breathe a completely different atmosphere, intimate, warm and romantic.

Hundertwasser Village could be described as a medieval village with the flair and colours of contemporary art; a wooded forest grows on the roof of the village, a distinctive feature of Hunderwasser dictated by his love of nature.

It is pleasant to spend some time browsing the pretty little shops selling handicrafts, souvenirs and clothing, surrounded by a riot of curved lines and flowers. You will also find a couple of cosy cafés inviting you to take a break without rushing.

Admission to the Hundertwasser Village is free. It is open daily from morning until 6pm.

Kunst House Wien (Hundertwasser Museum)

If after visiting the house and the village you have been fascinated by Hundertwasser’s imagination and want to learn more about this radical, inventive, sometimes excessive but always brilliant artist, visit the museum he founded, the Kunst House Wien.

The museum exhibits the world’s largest collection of Hundertwasser’s works, including paintings, graphics and illustrations, tapestries and sketches for architectural works. A visit to the museum will give you a better understanding of the philosophical, ethical and creative principles that drove the work of this exceptional artist.

Besides the permanent exhibition on Hundertwasser, the Kunst House also hosts important temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and is one of the most prestigious venues for photographic exhibitions in Vienna. For young artists in Vienna, it is an important meeting point and workshop on the topics dear to its founder, namely urban quality, sustainability, climate change and recycling.

The building itself, needless to say, is another work of art in pure Hundertwasser style: again, it is a renovated factory, characterised by irregular decorative elements made of glass, metal, brick, wood and gaudy tiles. Prominent on the colourful façade of the house are the green trees growing on its walls and roof.

How to get to the Hundertwasserhaus

The Hundertwasserhaus, Hundertwasser Village and Kunts House are located in Vienna’s third district, just outside the city centre.

You can get there by tram (line 1); alternatively, you can take the U1, U2, U3, U4 underground lines and get off at the Praterstern, Wien-Mitte, Rochusgasse or Schwedenplatz stops.