Joseph Maria Olbrich

Infobox Architect


caption=
name=Joseph Maria Olbrich
nationality= Austrian
birth_date=birth date|1867|12|22|mf=y
birth_place=Opava, Czech Republic
death_date=death date and age|1908|9|8|1867|12|22|mf=y
death_place=Düsseldorf, Germany
practice_name=
significant_buildings=Secession hall
significant_projects=
significant_design=
awards=Rome Prize (1893)|

Joseph Maria Olbrich (22 December 1867–8 August 1908) was an Austrian architect, co-founder of the Vienna Secession artistic group.

Olbrich was born in Troppau, today Opava in Czech Republic. Olbrich was the third child of the couple and Edmund Aloisia Olbrich born. He had two sisters who died before his birth, and two younger brothers John and Edmund. His father was a prosperous confectioner and wax manufacturer he owned a brick works, which is where Olbrichs interest in the construction industry was awakened early.

He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and won several prizes. In 1893, he started working for Otto Wagner and probably did the detailed construction for most of Wagner's Wiener Stadtbahn (Metropolitan Railway) buildings

In 1897, Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, Olbrich, Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser founded the "Vienna Secession" artistic group. Olbrich designed their exhibition building, the famous Secession Hall which became the symbol of the movement.

Olbrich died at the age of 40 from leukemia in Düsseldorf.

Works

* The Secession hall, Vienna
* Residence for Hermann Bahr, Vienna
* Hochzeitsturm and other buildings at Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt
*Department store for Leonhard Tietz at Düsseldorf

References

*cite book | last = Latham | first = Ian | title = Joseph Maria Olbrich | publisher = Rizzoli | location = New York | year = 1980 | isbn = 0847802302
*cite book | last = Ulmer | first = Renate | title = Joseph Maria Olbrich | publisher = Deutscher Kunstverlag | location = München | year = 2006 | language=German|isbn = 3422066594

Persondata
NAME= Olbrich, Joseph Maria
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Austrian architect
DATE OF BIRTH=1867-12-22
PLACE OF BIRTH=Opava
DATE OF DEATH=1908-08-08
PLACE OF DEATH=Düsseldorf