The Arthouse is located in one of the liveliest and most vibrant places in Vienna — Karlsplatz. That's right - where else would you find a community of creative and talented people?
Bohemians do not like to be alone and prefer to meet in unconventional places. Indeed, the square is home to a number of magnificent historical buildings — the Church of St Charles, Otto Wagner's pavilions, Ressel Park and many others.
The Vienna House of Artists opened in 1868 and has been the capital's most important arts venue ever since — a hub for forums, exhibitions, festivals and thematic meetings.
Despite its success, the building has been threatened with demolition for two centuries. Only public opinion and media activity has saved it from imminent destruction.
Why did this beautiful example of Italian Renaissance style suddenly become undesirable to the city authorities? The fact is that at the beginning of the twentieth century the area began to be intensively developed, and the Artists' House was too low in relation to other buildings.
The administration of the Künstlerhaus had to either raise the building or demolish it. The idea of replacing an architectural treasure with a typical eight-storey block sounds ridiculous, so it was no surprise that everything remained in place until 1966, when it was proposed to replace the Arthouse with IBM offices.
Although massive public protests have kept the building alive, the question of whether it should be demolished still comes up regularly. Who knows how it will end? So it's worth rushing to Vienna to visit this beautiful art centre.
The Vienna Kunsthaus is the work of August Weber, a Russian-Austrian architect of Czech descent. The building was commissioned by the Association of Austrian Artists, to which it still belongs. It is an independent private organisation with 500 members from all areas of the arts, from painting to film.
Emperor Franz Joseph I laid the first stone of the building, and various types of stone have been used in its decoration and construction. The Künstlerhaus is in the best tradition of the Neo-Renaissance (Italian Renaissance) and is a symbol of the flowering of all kinds of art.
The ground floor is clad in rustic masonry. The façade has three arched doorways and the windows above are divided by ancient columns. The interior of the building is decorated with frescoes, stone and stucco.
The two wings of the building were completed in 1882. Today, one wing houses a cinema and the other an avant-garde dance theatre. The House of the Artist is therefore very accessible to the whole family and even to children.
The cinema is also one of the venues for the annual Viennale film festival. It also hosts regular concerts by pop stars and DJs. Sculptural portraits of artists such as Raphael, Dürer, Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Velázquez and Donato Bramante greet you outside the building.
The exhibition concept, however, focuses on contemporary art, in particular design, film, media and interdisciplinary thematic exhibitions. As a result, the Maison des Artistes is often a showcase for the work of young talent.
A visit to the Maison des Artistes is an unforgettable experience. This is where classical architecture meets contemporary art.
The building has always been a home away from home for creative people, regardless of their style and beliefs, social status or nationality. Today, the Künstlerhaus is mainly home to local artists, but it also hosts international exhibitions every four years.
