Otto Wagner

The Pioneer of Viennese Modernism. Discover the groundbreaking structures of Otto Wagner

At once a realist and a visionary, an architect and a builder, Otto Wagner innovated a new era in building-making. Born in Vienna, the visionary architect made his presence felt — he pioneered the use of materials like glass, steel, and aluminum, in a ceaseless experimentation with form that would come to redefine Viennese structural identity, and urban architecture altogether.

Otto Wagner (1841–1918) is one of the most significant figures of turn-of-the-century architecture. He was associated with the Viennese Secession, a group of artists and designers headed by Gustav Klimt that initiated a departure from the conservative style of the Viennese Künstlerhaus. Wagner’s visionary approach, described as structural rationalism, pioneered the use of materials such as glass, steel, and especially aluminum to redefine Viennese structural identity.

From the imposing Austrian Postal Savings Bank to the scintillating St. Leopold Church at Steinhof, one of the most important Art Nouveau churches in the world: Discover the breadth of Wagner’s career as well as the political, economic, and social dynamics of his time. This incisive overview features a map locating all of the architect’s most renowned projects and recent, fresh photography from masters like Keiichi Tahara.

The author:

August Sarnitz is a practicing architect and professor of history and theory of architecture at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna. His many publications include books on R. M. Schindler, Lois Welzenbacher, Ernst Lichtblau, Adolf Loos, and E. A. Plischke.

About the series:

Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. 

Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Architecture series features:

- an introduction to the life and work of the architect
- the major works in chronological order
- information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions
- a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings
- approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)