HOFFMANN, Josef
(b. 1870, Pirnitz, Moravia, d. 1956, Wien)

Westend Sanatorium: stairwell

1904-05
Photo
Wiener Straße 60-70, Purkersdorf

The Purkersdorf Sanatorium is celebrated internationally not only as of the culmination and synthesis of the Viennese Art Nouveau arts; it is also considered the first public building in reinforced concrete. It was developed in a simplified architectural language to the maximum, pioneering achievement of the modern era with a reinforced concrete structure that made it possible to get a solution to the geometric expression of its design, especially in the staircase and dining room.