Essentially dubbed the Frank Llyoyd Wright of Europe by Wright himself, Adolf Loos possessed a talent for architecture and interior design as potent as his outspoken criticism of Art Nouveau and excessive ornamentation. A forerunner of the International Style, Loos exercised immense restraint in his building projects as well as his designs for chairs, tables, storage pieces and other furniture, and wrote prolifically on his disdain for taking a decorative approach to architecture.
The son of a stonemason and sculptor, Loos was born in 1870 in what is now Brno in the Czech Republic. He studied architecture in Dresden in 1889, completed a year of military service and moved to the United States by 1893. He visited the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and came to appreciate the American approach to design over his three-year stay before returning to Vienna.
An avid proponent of simplicity, Loos hated fluff above all else. In his best known essay, “Ornament and Crime,” he states “the evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornamentation from objects of everyday use” — a principle evident in both his architectural work and furniture. His writing was profoundly influential for practitioners of the International Style that would emerge later as well as the likes of prolific Swiss-born French architect and modernist prophet Le Corbusier.
Loos challenged the prevailing architecture and decorating styles of his time, and disliked the ornate work associated with the Vienna Secession and Gesamtkunstwerk — the concept of a house as total work of art — an ideal pursued by a collective born from the Secession called the Wiener Werkstätte. To Loos, design should prioritize function, and any ornamentation devoid of a structural purpose was childish and unnecessary.
Loos’s furniture — alongside the work of fellow Austrian architect Josef Hoffman — was the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in 2014. His architecture projects, including the Viennese Goldman and Salatsch building, the Austrian Steiner House and the Villa Müller in Prague, are celebrated by design enthusiasts all over the world.
Find vintage Adolf Loos seating, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Single Curve Stool in Beech with Cane Upholstered
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The refined elegance of the Japanese minimalism by Nendo abstracts from the brands’ stylistic features, in order to reinterpret them in a contemporary light. A rigorous and poetic ap...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Postsparkasse Chair in White and Aluminium
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Extreme shape synthesis. Minimalism, exclusivity and an eye for detail. The “Postsparkasse” series was designed in 1906 by Otto Wagner for the headquarters of the Post Office Savings...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH 144 Armchair in Walnut with Strip Pattern Seat
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An unusual classic. Elegant and comfortable. The new color variants of this chair evoke the ambiance of the cafe society. A new edition of the model originally designed by Adolf Loos...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Wiener Stuhl Chair with Perforated Plywood Seat
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"A simplified design to create an elegant, comfortable, popular item”. The structure has an all-embracing simplicity, and is formed from just a few elements in steam bent solid beech...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Cirque Low Stool in White with Black Rings
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The light and playful circus theme is at the core of the Cirque family of stools designed by Martino Gamper for Wiener GTV Design. The bent element, which is the brand’s signature trait, is surprisingly and unexpectedly inserted in the base of the stool, forming the outline of the seat in the form of a chain comprising two or three wooden rings that loop around the full length of the stool legs. This striking styling effect blends in seamlessly with the functionality of the seat, which is available in two heights: a tall, sleek stool...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Twiggy Large Chair in Black and Backrest
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An unusual classic. Elegant and comfortable. The new color variants of this chair evoke the ambiance of the cafe society. A new edition of the model originally designed by Adolf Loos...
Steel
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Wiener Vienna 144 Hocker Low Stool in Walnut
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This bar stool was originally designed n 1908 by August Thonet. It is a classic for public seating, with solid, functional and elegant characteristics. ...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH N.18 Chair in Stone Grey with Plywood Seat
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A great classic that made the history of this brand. Conceived by the company during the second half of the nineteenth century to meet the precise needs of practicality, the n°18 is ...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Twiggy Armchair in Steel with Orange & Backrest
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An unusual classic. Elegant and comfortable. The new color variants of this chair evoke the ambiance of the cafe society. A new edition of the model originally designed by Adolf Loos...
Steel
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Wiener Vienna 144 Barhocker Barstool in Walnut
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This bar stool was originally designed n 1908 by August Thonet. It is a classic for public seating, with solid, functional and elegant characteristics. ...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Czech Armchair in Orange with Plywood & Birch Feet
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed in 1994, the Hermann Czech chair represents the turning point of modern furniture towards the passion of reminiscence and intimacy: a contemporary design that evokes memorie...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Czech Chair in White Plywood Seat and Beech Feet
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed in 1994, the Hermann Czech chair represents the turning point of modern furniture towards the passion of reminiscence and intimacy: a contemporary design that evokes memorie...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Single Curve Low Table A in Wooden Top
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The refined elegance of the Japanese minimalism by Nendo abstracts from the brands’ stylistic features, in order to reinterpret them in a contemporary light. A rigorous and poetic ap...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Twiggy Chair in White and Backrest
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An unusual classic. Elegant and comfortable. The new color variants of this chair evoke the ambiance of the cafe society. A new edition of the model originally designed by Adolf Loos...
Steel
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Wiener Stuhl Chair in White with Wooven Cane Seat
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"A simplified design to create an elegant, comfortable, popular item”. The structure has an all-embracing simplicity, and is formed from just a few elements in steam bent solid beech...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Gustav Chair in Black with Plywood Seat
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gustav by Gordon Guillaumier has a solid beech structure with its backrest and arm rests joined to the front legs by a single curved element with a round section. The back legs are connected to the backrest, pandering to its natural curves and defining its profile with stylish elegance. The seat is available in curved plywood or upholstered, in the fabrics of the collection. Additional Info: Materials: Beech wood with plywood seat...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Magistretti 03 01 Armchair in Lacquered Beech
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Vico Magistretti in 2003, the Magistretti 03 01 chair combines the warmth of wood and the timeless elegance of the design language of Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH (GTV) wi...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH 144 Chair in Walnut with Strip Pattern Seat
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An unusual classic. Elegant and comfortable. The new color variants of this chair evoke the ambiance of the cafe society. A new edition of the model originally designed by Adolf Loos...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Single Curve Low Table B in Marble Top
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The refined elegance of the Japanese minimalism by Nendo abstracts from the brands’ stylistic features, in order to reinterpret them in a contemporary li...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH 144 Armchair in Walnut with Cane Seat
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An unusual classic. Elegant and comfortable. The new color variants of this chair evoke the ambiance of the cafe society. A new edition of the model originally designed by Adolf Loos...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Single Curve Low Table C in Glass Top
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The refined elegance of the Japanese minimalism by Nendo abstracts from the brands’ stylistic features, in order to reinterpret them in a contempor...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Magistretti 03 01 Armchair in Beech with Leather
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Vico Magistretti in 2003, the Magistretti 03 01 chair combines the warmth of wood and the timeless elegance of the design language of Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH (GTV) wi...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH N.18 Chair in Curry Yellow with Plywood Seat
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A great classic that made the history of this brand. Conceived by the company during the second half of the nineteenth century to meet the precise needs of practicality, the n°18 is ...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Hot Chair in Beech with Armrest
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Chromed steel structure and shell in beech plywood with or without solid wood arms. Wood or upholstered seat for chairs or armchairs. The upholstered cover is available only in the f...
Steel