zoom_in Click to enlarge

Friedensreich Hundertwasser

▲ ▼

language

description Friedensreich Hundertwasser Overview

Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) was an Austrian-born artist and architect whose work rejected straight lines in favor of organic, colorful, and irregular forms. He is best known for the Hundertwasserhaus, a Vienna apartment building completed in 1985 with co-architect Josef Krawina, featuring undulating floors, a colorful facade, and a tree-planted roof. Other major works include the KunstHausWien museum in Vienna and the Waldspirale residential complex in Darmstadt, Germany. His paintings and graphics, featuring spirals and vivid colors, were exhibited internationally, and he also designed postage stamps for Austria and the United Nations.

help Friedensreich Hundertwasser FAQ

Why did Hundertwasser reject straight lines in architecture?

He believed straight lines were unnatural and 'godless,' arguing in his manifestos that architecture should echo organic forms. This philosophy produced buildings like the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, completed in 1985, with its undulating floors, forested roof, and mismatched windows.

Can you go inside the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna?

No, it's a functioning apartment building, so visitors admire its exterior courtyard and facade rather than touring the flats. Those wanting an interior experience can visit the nearby Kunsthaus Wien, the museum dedicated to Hundertwasser's work, which he also designed.

What other buildings did Hundertwasser design outside Austria?

Notable projects include the Waldspirale apartment complex in Darmstadt, Germany, with its grass-covered spiral roof, and the famous public toilets in Kawakawa, New Zealand, completed in 1999. In Vienna he also transformed the Spittelau waste incineration plant into a landmark with its golden dome and checkerboard patterns.

Why did Friedensreich Hundertwasser change his name?

He was born Friedrich Stowasser in Vienna in 1928 and later adopted the name Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt, roughly meaning 'peace-realm, rainy day, darkly many-colored.' The reworking of 'Stowasser' into 'Hundertwasser' (hundred waters) is part of his lifelong personal mythology.