Essentially dubbed the Frank Llyoyd Wright of Europe by Wright himself, Adolf Loos possessed a talent for architecture and interior design as potent as his outspoken criticism of Art Nouveau and excessive ornamentation. A forerunner of the International Style, Loos exercised immense restraint in his building projects as well as his designs for chairs, tables, storage pieces and other furniture, and wrote prolifically on his disdain for taking a decorative approach to architecture.
The son of a stonemason and sculptor, Loos was born in 1870 in what is now Brno in the Czech Republic. He studied architecture in Dresden in 1889, completed a year of military service and moved to the United States by 1893. He visited the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and came to appreciate the American approach to design over his three-year stay before returning to Vienna.
An avid proponent of simplicity, Loos hated fluff above all else. In his best known essay, “Ornament and Crime,” he states “the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use” — a principle evident in both his architectural work and furniture. His writing was profoundly influential for practitioners of the International Style that would emerge later as well as the likes of prolific Swiss-born French architect and modernist prophet Le Corbusier.
Loos challenged the prevailing architecture and decorating styles of his time, and disliked the ornate work associated with the Vienna Secession and Gesamtkunstwerk — the concept of a house as total work of art — an ideal pursued by a collective born from the Secession called the Wiener Werkstätte. To Loos, design should prioritize function, and any ornamentation devoid of a structural purpose was childish and unnecessary.
Loos’s furniture — alongside the work of fellow Austrian architect Josef Hoffman — was the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in 2014. His architecture projects, including the Viennese Goldman and Salatsch building, the Austrian Steiner House and the Villa Müller in Prague, are celebrated by design enthusiasts all over the world.
Find vintage Adolf Loos seating, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Italian 19th Century Marquetry and Bronze Empire Side Chair
Located in Brescia, IT
Back decorated in various inlaid woods showing vines, flowers etc., The tops of the back chair rails are mounted with eagle heads, and are joined together with a turned gilded deco...
Wood
1940 Charles Dudouyt Wicker and Oak Pair of Chair
By Charles Dudouyt
Located in Brescia, IT
Wicker seat and oak frame. Excellent condiction Measures: H seat: 30 cm.
Straw, Oak
1940 Charles Dudouyt French Design Wicker and Oak Chairs Set of 4
By Charles Dudouyt
Located in Brescia, IT
Set of 4 Chairs Charles Dodouyt France, 1940 Solid Oak Frame Wicker Seat Very Good Condiction
Wicker, Oak
Jacob & Josef Kohn 1890s Secessionist Art Nouveau Bentwood Stand
By Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Brescia, IT
J&J Kohn Austria, 1980s Beech bentwood stand Excellent condiction Paper label "J&J Kohn".
Bentwood
1989 Massimo Iosa Ghini Calligaris Chestnut Wood "Robin" Chair Set of 4
By Massimo Iosa Ghini
Located in Brescia, IT
"Robin" Set of 4 Chairs Massimo Iosa Ghini prod. Calligaris Italy, 1989 Chestnut Wood Curved plywood veneered in chestnut wood Some light defects (shown in the pics) Very Good Condi...
Chestnut
Folk Art Early 20th Century Wood Rustic Four Chairs
Located in Brescia, IT
Four rustic chairs 1900-1910 Hand-carved wood Excellent condition.
Wood
Adolf Loos Corner Chair, F.O. Schmidt, Oak Wood Leather, Jugendstil, 1898-1900
By Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Adolf Loos
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A corner armchair designed by Adolf Loos (1870-1933) and manufactured by Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Vienna, Austria, circa 1900. The condition of the wood is very good. The leather seat...
Leather, Wood
Original and Documented Jugendstil Adolf Loos Chair, 20th Century, 1907
By Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Adolf Loos, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
Chair from the antechamber of the Rudolf Kraus apartment, brother of Karl Kraus, the famous wordsmith. This Apartment in Vienna 1, Nibelungengasse 13, was presented by Adolf Loos on ...
Beech
Art Nouveau Armchair 'Model Stössler', Design by Adolf Loos, Vienna, circa 1900
By Adolf Loos, Friedrich Otto Schmidt
Located in Vienna, AT
Adolf Loos (1870 - 1933) designed the chair model shown here in 1899 based on an English model as part of his earliest work as an interior designer for the dining room in Eugen Stössler's apartment in Vienna. The omission of the front supports of the armrests and the backwards curved legs lend the early chair a touch of elegance. Instead of the turned legs of the English model, Loos used smooth round wood with brass feet to protect the carpet. So these ankle cuffs fulfill a practical purpose and at the same time have a decorative effect. They thus correspond to Loos' demand for a 'unity of form and function'. Beautifully shaped furniture made by hand in high quality, solid walnut and veneered, shellac hand-polished, upholstered seat and covered with leather, brass nails and brass shoes. Execution: Friedrich Otto Schmidt, Vienna, circa 1900 Model number 6865 The model was produced by the company F. O. Schmidt and was also in their offer at the time. This explains why this chair model, specially designed by Loos for one of his interiors, can also be found on the art market. Measures: Total height: 82.0 cm / 32.28 in Seat height: 47.0 cm / 18.50 in Width: 57.0 cm / 22.44 in Depth: 50.0 cm / 19.68 in Bibliography: - The dining room in the Stössler apartment was published in 1900 in the Viennese arts and crafts...
Brass
Jugendstil Maple Wood Corner Chair with Upholstered Seat by Adolf Loos, c. 1900
By Adolf Loos
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Antique Jugendstil Maple Wood Corner Chair with Upholstered Seat by Adolf Loos, c. 1900. $3,500 This gorgeous corner chair by Adolf Loos, is a rare gema of the past. Made of maple ...
Maple
Jugendstil Vintage Maple Tree Adolf Loos Corner Chair or Chair Vienna circa 1900
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil vintage corner chair from maple tree by Adolf Loos and executed by F.O.Schmidt. A wonderful chair or corner chair or side chair by Ado...
Maple, Rope, Wood
Office Chair No.6150 by Adolf Loos for Thonet
By Adolf Loos
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession office chair no.6150 by Adolf Loos executed by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Bentwood
