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 MOS Bookcase in Wood with Brass Feet
By Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Brooklyn, NY
MOS is the family of storage units designed by GamFratesi with console, bookcase and side table, which can also be used as a bedside table, that incorporates the style of the bench o...
Wood
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH NYNY Bookcase with Lacquered Wood and Brass Frame
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Distinctively asserting its modernity, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna has adopted its archetypes, bent-wood and woven cane, to design NYNY, a piece of furniture with a strong emotional dimen...
Wood
Pair of Modern Black Bookcases in Solid Wood
Located in North York, ON
Pair of modern black bookcases in solid wood. Finished in a satin black finish with sleek modern styling. Sold in a pair, 4 total available. P...
Wood
Ico Parisi Bookcase in wood and brass, mod. 457, Italy 1955
By Ico Parisi
Located in Argelato, BO
Ico Parisi bookcase, mod. 457, De Baggis production, lacquered wood, mahogany, brass, Italy, 1955. This bookcase with four shelves in different colors was originally designed for...
Metal, Brass
Oak and Brass Bookcase Shelving with Credenza by Amuneal
By Amuneal
Located in New York, NY
Oak and Brass Bookcase Shelving with Credenza is the single bay version of Amuneal’s collector’s shelving unit featuring solid machined brass fitti...
Brass
$8,991
H 118.12 in W 97.25 in D 11.82 in
1950s Italian Bookcase with Wood, Brass and Metal finsh with Adjustable Shelves
Located in IT
Walnut wood bookcase with metal uprights and shelves Italy 1950s. The bookcase consists of four uprights and three modules organized with adjustable shelves and two storage compartm...
Brass, Iron
$4,438 / item
H 28.75 in W 49.22 in D 13.39 in
Modernist Low Bookcase, Chrome Plated Metal, Lacquered Wood, Glass, Customizable
By GMD Berlin
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist tubular steel low bookcase in chrome-plated metal, glossy lacquered wood, and sliding glass panels. Customizable, production time ca. 10 w...
Steel
Frame Bookcase
By Ghidini 1961
Located in Milan, IT
A clean and essential design of strong geometrical value, this striking bookcase will make a bold and stately addition to any contemporary decor. Featuring two vertical supports and ...
Brass
Raphael Raphel Bookcase in Lacquered Wood & Glass, France 1950's
By Raphael Raffel
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional triple floating bookcase in beka lacquer with bronze accents on saint gobain glass legs.
Bronze
Revolving Bookcase by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Revolving bookcase by Thonet professionally stained and repolished.
Beech
$3,500
H 70 in W 22 in D 41 in
Vintage 1960s Lacquered Yumu Wood Chinese Bookcase with Hand-Carved Medallions
Located in Yonkers, NY
A vintage handmade Chinese lacquered yumu wood 1960s bookcase with hand-carved medallions. Made of yumu wood, this Chinese bookshelf features a nicel...
Elm
$4,438 / item
H 28.75 in W 49.22 in D 13.39 in
Bespoke Tubular Steel Low Bookcase, Chrome, Lacquered Wood, Sliding Glass Panels
By GMD Berlin
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist tubular steel low bookcase made of chrome-plated steel, lacquered blockboard and sliding glass panels, customizable. Production time: ca. 10 weeks
Steel
$10,310Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 45.28 in W 80.71 in D 15.75 in
Wordsworth Low Bookcase Wood Travertine Handmade in Portugal by Wood Tailors
Located in RIO TINTO, PT
Entering a gentlemen’s club leads to a world of privilege and status, enriched with pieces like the Wordsworth Bookcase. Inspired by William Wordsworth, a poet who helped found the R...
Travertine
$11,470 / item
H 29.53 in W 35.44 in D 17.72 in
NYNY Drawers by Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH (GTV) – Wiener GTV Design
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Milan, IT
Part of a series that includes a vertical cabinet and a sideboard, this drawer, embodies the harmonious and elegant encounter between architecture, design, art, and craftsmanship. De...
Wood
$22,194 / item
H 75.67 in W 105.44 in D 14.97 in
Free Bookcase in Solid Walnut Wood Made with 28 Free Boxes
Located in Paris, FR
Bookcase free in solid walnut wood made with 28 free boxes, 15 square free boxes and 13 rectangular free boxes. (For Pyramidal bookcase), price: 19500...
Wood, Walnut
$4,700
H 40.16 in W 69.69 in D 16.93 in
Sculptural Bookcase in Black Lacquered Wood with Decorative Carvings
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Bookcase, lacquered wood, France, 1970s Crafted with unparalleled artistry, this cabinet with shelves epitomizes exquisite craftsmanship with meticulously carved details that draw i...
Wood
$3,038Sale Price|70% Off
H 51.19 in W 92.52 in D 25.6 in
Contemporary Bookcase in Walnut Wood and Brushed Brass, In Stock
By João Faria, EMOTIONAL OBJECTS
Located in Vila Nova Famalicão, PT
This sculptural bookcase is handcrafted in Portugal and combines walnut wood shelves with a brushed brass structure. Designed by Joao Faria, the bookcase reflects his approach to con...
Metal, Brass