In 1911, an icon of early modernism arrived on Michaelerplatz, opposite Vienna’s historic Hofburg Palace. Designed by Adolf Loos for haberdashers Goldman & Salatsch, the building was provocative for the time—its rigorous simplicity breaking from prevailing styles in accordance with the architect’s rejection of ornament. To locals, including lucky shoppers who could watch their suits be made, the edifice became known as the “House Without Eyebrows,” owing to windows devoid of classical flourishes. Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria allegedly disliked it so much he kept the curtains of his windows facing it closed.
War would soon change Europe forever, with the Viennese cityscape suffering extreme devastation. Though the Looshaus still stood, its interiors were radically altered in the 1930s. When, some 50 years later, it was converted into a…
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Architectural Digest (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025