Life and career[edit]

Wagner was born in Penzing, a district in Vienna. He was the son of Suzanne (ne von
Helffenstorffer-Hueber) and Rudolf Simeon Wagner, a notary to the Royal Hungarian Court. [1][2][3] He
studied architecture at the Viennese Polytechnic Institute and the Royal School of Architecture in
Berlin.[4] After completing his education, he returned to Vienna to work. In 1864, he started designing
his first buildings in the historicist style. In the mid- and late-1880s, like many of his contemporaries
in Germany (such as Constantin Lipsius, Richard Streiter and Georg Heuser), Switzerland (Hans
Auer and Alfred Friedrich Bluntschli) and France (Paul Sdille), Wagner became a proponent
of Architectural Realism. It was a theoretical position that enabled him to mitigate the reliance on
historical forms. In 1894, when he became Professor of Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts
Vienna, he was well advanced on his path toward a more radical opposition to the prevailing
currents of historicist architecture.
By the mid-1890s, he had already designed several Jugendstil buildings. Wagner was very
interested in urban planning in 1890 he designed a new city plan for Vienna, but only his urban
rail network, the Stadtbahn, was built. In 1896 he published a textbook entitled Modern
Architecture in which he expressed his ideas about the role of the architect; it was based on the text
of his 1894 inaugural lecture to the Academy. His style incorporated the use of new materials and
new forms to reflect the fact that society itself was changing. In his textbook, he stated that "new
human tasks and views called for a change or reconstitution of existing forms". In pursuit of this
ideal, he designed and built structures that reflected their intended function, such as the austere
Neustiftgasse apartment block in Vienna.

Exterior

Interior
Wagner Villa

In 1897, he joined Gustav Klimt, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Mosershortly
after they founded the "Vienna Secession" artistic group. From the ideas of this group he developed
a style that included quasi-symbolic references to the new forms of modernity.
Wagner had a strong influence on his pupils at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. This "Wagner
School"[4] included Josef Hoffmann, Joseph Maria Olbrich, Karl Ehn, and Max Fabiani. Another
student of Wagner's was Rudolph Schindler, who said "Modern Architecture began
with Mackintosh in Scotland, Otto Wagner in Vienna, and Louis Sullivan in Chicago."[4]Wagner died in
Vienna in 1918.

https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/Austrian_Postal_Savings_Bank
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_Postal_Savings_Bank#Exterior
The Austrian Postal Savings Bank building (German language: sterreichische Postsparkasse) is
a famous modernistbuilding in Vienna, designed and built by the architect Otto Wagner. The building
is regarded as an important early work of modern architecture, representing Wagner's first move
away from Art Nouveau and Neoclassicism. It was constructed between 1904 and 1906
using reinforced concrete.
It can be argued that the building is a continuation of traditional architecture with all its elements
such as decoration, sculpture, an underlying order, primarily vertical composition, far different from
the complete break with tradition that the congrs internationaux d'architecture moderne (CIAM)
advocated in the 1920s.
The building houses the headquarters of the sterreichische Postsparkasse (P.S.K.) bank, formerly
the k.k. Postsparcassen-Amt (Imperial-Royal Postal Savings Office). It is located at Georg-CochPlatz 2, in the first district Innere Stadt, next to the Ringstrae boulevard.

Introduction
The Post Office Savings Bank in Vienna, was started when the architect was 62 and ended with 71,
sums up the work of his life and together with the Church of San Leopoldo in Steinhof is considered
the most important work Wagner and one of the architectural symbols of Vienna. Together
with Berlin and ChicagoVienna is among the places where the "functional architecture" was founded
and the building fully meets what is meant by modern architecture.

Of the 37 projects submitted to the competition, the winner of Wagner was beginning to take place in
1904, with some modifications with respect to the original project, and part of the roof was
completed, the first building in 1906.

Project
Drawing entered into the competition by Wagner

The tender for the construction of the Post Office Savings Bank Imperial-Royal was an open and
anonymous process carried out in February 1903 three meetings were necessary for the jury to
decide the winner, winning the draft submitted by Wagner on the other 36.
Contrary to the tender specifications, Wagner took the corridors to be used by the Savings in your
transactions, this is one of the reasons used by some of the architects of the jury as argument to
reject the project, but was finally recognized as a functional improvement not previously considered
by the representatives of the Postal Savings Bank. The competition is mainly notable for three
reasons: 1 The jury took three consecutive days to evaluate projects, 2. jurors individually examined
projects between meetings and 3 The priority given to functions and construction criteria style
assessments clear that modernity was gaining ground set.
The draft Otto Wagner was definitely more suggestions carefully crafted all presented to the jury,
was the only participant able to combine the vision of a new Postal Savings Bank with a new
architecture, being an extremely rare event in the history of architecture a visionary project that
match a client architecture and also visionaries, with the same content and objectives.

from modifications

During the following year to win the contest Wagner revised its original plans, with particular
attention to the central part of the building facing the small square Georg Coch Platz. The high arch
structure of metal and glass on top was replaced by horizontal attics, wall and topped with
balustrade. These modifications enabled him to achieve greater harmony between the horizontal line
of the building and the horizontal rhythm of the windows, showing a great sense of integrity for the
whole

Location
In order to transfer the former headquarters of the Postal Bank, which since 1833 was located in the
former monastery of the Dominican Order in 1903 he was called to contest a specific program for the
new location in the Stubenviertel in George Coch Platz 2 1018 Vienna. Otto Wagner won first prize
and started with the project but the style differs greatly respected environmental criteria such as
volume, color and rhythm of openings.

In 1902-03, about the same time that the competition for the Postal Box, Otto Wagner participated in
another competition for a "general regulation plan" to Vienna. Their suggestions were the basis for
urban development around the Savings site being considered by the architect as the ideal for the
Office of the Imperial and Royal Mail subsequently used for the Savings Bank.

Concept
The building received rave reviews in the architectural environment of the time and was considered
a pioneer achievement of Austria, and indeed of European architecture.

Flor plan
The architect designed a basilica with three naves, the central higher that the two sides, with the
intention of giving his creation, for a profane place, a rational basis to establish an art form as the
inevitable result of a functional form . The central module becomes urban architectural ornament and
decoration. The whole building is built around the central hall where the functional requirement is
very clear and perfect to fulfill his duties, is the main idea of the project.
This concept was achieved mainly inside as it is a true representation of a building and completely
practical offices related to its purpose, it appears to us as a "huge envelope full of money"

Spaces
The main entrance to the building is via a wide staircase covered by a single carport metal and glass
supported by slender columns, which give access to the atrium leading to the central area of the
bank. Below this large patio lit basements, one of which develops its work mail is placed.
The building has 8 levels organized symmetrically around 5 yards of light that illuminate the interior.
In order that the Savings Bank went into operation as soon as possible, the work was divided into
two parts, the first building on the east side, was built between 1903 -1906 and the second in the
western part, the part rear of the building that faces Dominikanerbastei, was completed between
1910 1912, being attached to the first.

Although his style differs markedly from other surrounding buildings, the architect had the respectful
approach to keep some characteristics of the environment, such as volume, color and rhythm of
openings.

Interior

This trapezoidal shaped building, harmoniously developed around the central hall, the flexible use of
space, lack of ornamentation and the seamless integration of two materials, glass and iron, clearly
reflect the transition from conventional forms of historicism the new architectural trend Secession,
modern architecture, Art Deco or Jugendstil, without any reminiscence of historic styles, no hint of
palace architecture nor free rebirth, only "useful style"
Once up the broad stairs and through gridded facade, whose sides and cornice the two statues of a
winged woman than 4.5 meters are located, you can access the stunning atrium that leads to the
main hall the bank, a large open space with 550 square meters, glazed both on the pergola roof and
the bottom with a novel and striking glass floor also.

Ceiling

Second gabled

It is a suspended ceiling supported by glass plates and metal wiring looms. The frame forming the
pergola covering the central space was made of iron, forming squares that were covered with
crystals, allowing light into the room. On this frame one second gable roof, also made of glass, which
protects the dome of the main hall displays. Snow this roof the removed tubes rising from the
heating radiators.

Floor

The new floor was covered in pieces of dough translucent glass that allow the passage of light to the
post office located below, and like all the materials chosen by the architect for the spaces of
customer service belong to modern materials functional, hygienic and easy to maintain.

Exterior

The exterior is unlike anything that Wagner had designed so far, getting fit and blend with the
surrounding buildings. The massive body of the building has a horizontal cut at the points where they
cross the street corners. The facade gives the building grid a particular aspect that has received
numerous and varied comments. Architecture critic said about J.Lux made "... the building resembles
a huge safe, covered entirely by nailheads. However it is not devoid of a certain monumentality and
character whatsoever, for the interior and spread outward objective directly and clearly the idea of
building ... .. "
Wagner creates a language through materials, a succession of infinitely repeated elements that in
turn create a benchmark for expedited citizen, as if their time and did tick step. This fact is verifiable
both outside, the facade, and inside, the roof and sides of the core module. In the front bolts that
supposedly bind the stone slabs to brick walls evoke industrial architecture, although it is a
decorative detail and the plates were attached with mortar

Structure
The structure of Postbank is innovative, it is presented as a metal structure covered with marble
slabs and sconces aluminum reinforced concrete slabs. The walls were built of brick and then
coated. Inside large bearing walls were not included, allowing complete flexibility for the various
functions of the bank, illuminated by generous windows.

Materials
Pillars aluminum pergola entry

The two winged women located on the cornice of the facade, Schimkowitz works were made from
aluminum and make up one of the many expressionist touches the building. Aluminum was used
throughout the building as a decorative element, the heads of the bolts, brackets colgadizo the
acroteria or wreaths. The bank is also furniture design Otto Wagner

Aluminum

Fundamental to the use of aluminum in the 800 handles, fittings, lighting fixtures, heating grilles,
radiators hot air and wall pilasters in the living windows, reason was the fact that this material did not
need cleaning any.
The facade made of brick, was coated with white marble slabs Sterzinger and granite, set by coated
aluminum, total 17,000, the same technique used in the Church Steinhof bolts and the building of the
dam Kaiserbad. The marble slabs resting on a granite base rounded whose parts are all in the same
direction and with a little relief, to thereby enhance the effect of horizontality and vivacity and confer
plasticity to the building. The metal canopy and iron points to the main entrance is supported by cast
iron columns coated aluminum.
The interior walls of both local as stairs or walkways are also lined with marble. The stairs are made
of concrete and steel with marble steps of 3 cm.
The soils of the central hall were made of translucent blocks made from molten glass and framed
with granite tiles decorated with black lines, the rest of the spaces Wagner combined the marble
linoleum.