Who is Adolf Loos?

Adolf Loos was an Austrian architect and theoretician, one of the most important representatives of modern architecture. In his theoretical and practical works, he developed a concept of functionalist architecture, free of decoration, which he regarded as superficial and subjective (in his essay Ornament and Crime). Among Loos’ most significant works were the Steiner House and the Goldman & Salatsch department store in Vienna. The Miller Villa in Prague is among his climactic house buildings, described as “a single large, airy space” (the so-called ‘Raumplan’). Loos also designed a number of coffee houses and luxury shops (particularly in Vienna) as well as apartments.