Organically Irregular Design

 

During my travels to Vienna, Austria, I was always intrigued by the buildings designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. You can imagine my amazement when I found out I can spend a few nights in a hotel, of which the exterior as well as interior was one of the last works of this famous Austrian painter and architect.

Hot Springs Village in Blumau (Styria) looks like a surreal city in the middle of a beautiful rural land. Round shapes, contrasting colors, oddly placed doors and windows, and green roofs are all Hundertwasser trademarks, recognizable worldwide (some of his projects are even in Japan and New Zealand).

 

 

 

In Hundertwasser's words:

"If man walks in nature's midst, then he is nature's guest and must learn to behave as a well-brought-up guest."

 

 

Hundertwasser's recognizable spirals, strong color contrasts, lack of straight corners, and mosaics are present everywhere - even in the hotel bathrooms. The art becomes an integral decoration, accessible on an everyday basis. The eco-friendly approach to nature and its beauty (green roofs, trees growing in the middle of buildings) stays up-to-date today, showing Hundertwasser's visionary approach to the applied arts and architecture.