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A founding member of the Secession and major player in Otto Wagnre's atelier, it was Olbrich's destiny to leave Vienna within a year of the building of the House of Secession. His work in Darmstadt, Germany at Mathildenhöhe for Ernst Ludwig, Duke of Hesse would cement his position in art history.
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When the Secession group held its first meeting one of it's primary objectives was to erect a new exhibition building. A site along the Ringstrasse, Vienna's ode to historicism was chosen. However, the municipal council was outraged that such a "grotesque" building should be built in proximity to the buildings that spoke to Vienna's greatness. A compromise was reached and and a less prominent site in Karlsplatz outside the city ring was chosen.
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The mosaic urns were not original to Olbrich's design. In the first major renovation of the building in 1908, architect Robert Oerley removed much of the building's ornamentation including the Secession's motto over the entrance door. He then introduced the two mosaic urns flanking the entrance.
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The main entrance to the Secession. Above the entrance is the the Secession's motto, Der Zeit ihre Kunst. Der Kunst ihre Freiheit" - "To The Age It's Art - To Art It's Freedom. In 1984/85 renovations were undertaken to restore the building to Olbrich's original design. This included reinstalling the secession motto above the entrance.
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The personification of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture by Othmar Schimkowitz. These were carved as the heads of gorgons with intertwining snakes which have a long history of symbolic meaning for regeneration of the spirit.
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On the East and West walls Olbrich himself modeled the owls in concrete based on designs by Kolomann Moser.
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The front part of the east and west elevations have stylized laurel trees cut in relief. The laurel motif is used throughtout the building symbolizing victory, purity and dignity.
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The building is crowned by a filligree sphere of 3000 gilded iron laurel leaves. The Viennese dubbed it the Golden Cabbage. It was damaged heavily in World War II when the retreating German army set fire to the building, scorching and distorting the dome. It was repaired in 1963/64 and was reguilded in 1984 restoring it to its original splendor.
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The House of Secession is just off of Karlsplatz, now one of the busiest hubs in Vienna. At night the building is beautifully lit and brings a turn of the century splendor to the plaza.
