Hoffmann, Josef (1870–1956)

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A founding member of the Secessionist movement in Vienna, Josef Hoffmann exemplified the Austrian decorative style in both architecture and design. He was born in 1870 in Moravia (now the Czech Republic). Upon finishing his studies in architecture at the Academy of Art in Vienna he was awarded the Rome Prize in 1895. Subsequently, he began a long association with Otto Wagner, including sporadic employment in Wagner’s office over the years. Hoffmann’s most enduring legacy was his role in founding and supporting several artists’ workshops, including the Wiener Werkstätte (1903), Kunstschau (1908–1909), Austrian Werkbund (1910) and the Künstlerwerkstätte (1943–1956).

Much of his architecture was designed for exhibitions, such as the Austrian pavilion Werkbund Exhibition (1913–1914). His early buildings include the Moser and Moll Houses (1901–1903) and the Palais Stoclet (1905–1911). Many of these homes were designed for wealthy clients, with interiors that exploited surface and ornament (Gresleri, 1981). Hoffmann abandoned traditional Austrian interiors and substituted a new style, although not the stark modernist compositions of the international style (Noever, 1992).

Associated with Olbrich and the artists of the Secession, Hoffmann’s early work embraced the emerging movements of Art Nouveau and Jugendstil. Although his later work became more austere, Hoffmann continued to work on decorative designs when architects around the world had adopted the international style (Noever, 1992).

This sketch is an outline of an elevation. It was a preliminary design for a 1914 competition, a synagogue in Sillein (Zilina). One of many alternatives in Hoffmann’s search for form, the building has a steeply roofed dome surrounded by a vertically paneled wall.

In viewing many of Hoffmann’s sketches, similarities surface. He often sketched on grid paper, supposedly to help with proportion, measuring, or the maintenance of straight lines. As an added effect of drawing on grid paper, most of his sketches have been composed in elevation. Small, precise alternatives had been drawn in successive rows, providing many possible combinations of form. Unsuccessful solutions were crossed out.

The technique of these sketches reveals lines that appear slow and deliberate; as a result, they become slightly wavy. Typical of Hoffmann’s sketching style, this proposal reflects a lack of architectural materiality and is devoid of shading or detail. The exceptions are vertical lines on the roof and a few stippled marks on the walls. This purposeful sketching technique suggests a contemplative approach rather than an expressive exuberance. The implication is that Hoffmann was treating the sketch as if it was a work of art, or as a substitute for finished documentation. It may have been necessary to complete the sketch before he was able to evaluate its merit. This assumption is reinforced
by the aforementioned preliminary sketches, also finished to this same degree. Other architects might reject an idea and proceed to another sketch, while Hoffmann was methodically pondering the whole before eliminating a solution. Since this sketch was not a commission but a competition, Hoffmann needed to see how it ‘looked’ before developing the scheme.

As an artist and designer of household objects, Josef Hoffmann was most likely accustomed to viewing the whole. A teapot, lamp, or chair could be precisely evaluated throughout the design process. Since architecture depends on drawing conventions, Hoffmann may have felt more comfortable bringing the idea to a relative conclusion. This reflective approach to sketching gave him time for consideration.