Tuesday 26 April 2011

The magic of Hundertwasser!

We are home in London again and I started back at work today.  We had an 'Inset' Day today...pupil free in Aussie language.  Today we had some training on a reading programme called SRS 'Sound Reading System'.  It is a phonetics based programme where they say the ONLY way to teach reading is phonetics - always wary of ONLY way programmes, but I will hold judgement for the moment. Anyway I promised I would get back to telling you all more about our holiday in Europe so back to Vienna we go!

As we were driving in to Vienna I spotted an amazing building with this tower. 


I snapped the photo and felt a bit dissapointed because I had missed any images of the wonderful building it was attached to and our chances of finding our way back there and of finding out about the building had to be slim...right? 

When we got to the hotel we were given a guide book and I flicked through it.  I became very excited because there was an advertisement for the Hundertwasser Village.  My friend in Australia, Coralie, teaches her Year 8 art classes about Hundertwasser and I have always really admired the work the students have produced in the school's art exhibitions.  They have invariably been my favourite part of the exhibition time and time again.  I never knew much about him, but our first day in Vienna was spent visiting the Hundertwasser House and Village and what a treat that was and what a learning experience for me!

Hundertwasser was an architect and artist.  He was inspired by Gaudi (very obvious!) and was quite out there I guess for his time!  I'll just add some images so you can make your own judgements!

 Opposite the village was this housing block


Inside the village


This staircase was gorgeous - he didn't believe in straight lines in architecture - or even floor surfaces!


A view of the shop area - yes we bought a print to bring home to Australia for our home!


A close up of one of his prints (not the one we bought) they are incredibly colourful and stunning!


Yes, you did read that sign properly!


The entry way into the loos!


Another part of the same wall!  It was a long narrow area and very hard to photograph.

...and now on to the house.  I could only take limited photos here because they allow none to be taken inside!  The outside is very striking painted in a black and white checkered pattern.  No two windows are the same and the portico is supported by incredibly colourful columns!  Big sigh!!... oh I loved it, but again very hard to photograph and we didn't have the wide angle lens with us that day!




Even the cafe was a work of art!  All the tables were individual pieces and many of them artistically beautiful pieces in their own right!


He was a man after my own heart as he believed that plants should be an integral part of the human living environment!


The table beside ours.


...and our afternoon tea...yum!  That's a rhubarb tart....mmmm!


Oh, and the tower we saw as we were driving into town was one of his works of art too!  It was and still is an incinerator!  He revamped and beautified the building!  Check out the images on google images - I just typed in 'hundertwasser vienna incinerator'.

There is still my day in the Belvedere in Vienna and then many more days of our trip!  I will add more soon!

3 comments:

Coralie said...

Hundertwasser...... so jealous! I hope you took lots of photos for me............. he thought the straight line was the devils tool. Immigrated to New Zealand in the end because of politics and such. But oh wow! such joy is a Hundertwasser building, painting whatever....

Ali said...

I did take a heap of photos, but as always didn't get everything. We will have a big photo day when we are back in Australia! His work is just glorious and the colours and forms fabulous. I absolutely loved it!

Lillipilli Lane said...

What a fabulous place and architecture Al, looks like it was an absolute joy to visit and so lovely to live in a place surrounded by happy art:) Love the incinerator!
hugs, happy journies
Keryn