Österreichische Postsparkasse in Vienna

Otto Wagner – Kaiserlich-Königliche Postsparkasse, Vienna Austria, 1904-1912

In 1906, the new headquarters in Vienna was built by architect Otto Wagner. It is located in the Inner Stadt along the Ringstrasse boulevard.
The building is one of the most important examples of Viennese Jugendstil, also known as the Vienna Secession. Its clear lines and fresh elegance, achieved through the use of steel, concrete and glass, give the building a solid and impenetrable appearance.
The aluminum cladding of the facade with iron studs represents on the one hand a technical necessity, a programmatic announcement of modernity, but on the other an important symbolic message: the treasure chest studded with iron stands as an archetype for the safekeeping of saved and invested money.
The skylight in the main hall, however, allows natural light to reach the interior of the building, making it both bright and airy. The building became the most recognizable trademark of the Austrian Postal Savings Bank.