Adolf Loos (1870-1933) was born in what is now the Czech Republic, but much of his influence was felt in Vienna, Austria. He scandalized the city in 1909 by situating the bare-bones Goldman and Salatsch Building (Looshaus) across the plaza from the ornate Imperial Palace.
Loos justified the style of simplicity and functionality in his famous 1908 essay Ornament & Crime. Through his writings and building designs, Loos introduced modernist ideas to Vienna and the world.
PHOTO: Looshaus am Michaelerplatz (Wikimedia)
