Hundertwasser Haus

The Ringstrasse is the great boulevard that encircles historic Vienna, arguably the greatest boulevard in Europe. "Lord of the Ring Roads," some say. It replaced the Medieval city walls and fortifications, by decree of King und Kaiser Franz Joseph, who not only ordered its building but specified its size and which important state buildings would go where along the road. (Napoleon III had already demonstrated the utility of wide/straight-shot boulevards in inhibiting people from taking to the streets and barricades). Pretty much all the important 19th century state buildings, palaces, opera, museums, parliament, parks, what have you, are somewhere along the Ringstrasse, all of them in the neo-classical/heroic/baroque style appropriate for a 19th century empire. There are tours and tour buses that just do the Ringstrasse. Or you can simply ride trams #1 and #2 such as we did one day back in 2012.

Riding along, appreciating all the stately and imposing architecture, we had one of those "What was THAT?" moments, looking out the window at the Hundertwasser Haus, an apartment building designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser (a made-up name) back in the 80s. We spent the next couple hours examining the place and a neighboring site and educating ourselves about Herr Hundertwasser's work, world-wide. It is anything but stately and imposing, his principal architectural principle being "no straight lines." He moved to New Zealand later in his life (figures) and built an estate there that was, for the most part, in tune with nature, his other dictum. We have twice visited the Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa, North Island, reported here, and here. We're not fans, really, but will certainly go out of our way (a little) to see his work whenever possible, mostly for stimulation and amusement. The Hundertwasserhaus was just a half mile or so from our apartment, so we had to see it again.

Surrounded by stately and imposing buildings...

Just a reminder that, no matter how stately and 
imposing your place is, there's no controlling who's
going to move in next door

Inside the adjacent "Hundertwasser Village," a
tire store Hundertwasser converted

"No straight lines" and a significant challenge for
people with balance issues

One of the numerous trinket shoppes of Hundertwasser Village

The bar

Another boutique

Required reading

So, Hundertwasser designed the toilets at Hundertwasser Village,
and, with my previous experience at Kawakawa, I had to go; I had
to go anyway

Deep thoughts...

One of the few men's rooms where you can flash a camera without
(much) fear of being seen as a pervert

Back in the courtyard

Hundertwasser creations in the vicinity

Not least, the Vienna trash-processing facility

What a crock!