Strudlhofstiege

The Strudlhofstiege is an aesthetically and historically significant staircase in Vienna’s 9th district, Alsergrund.It bridges the terrain gap between the higher portion of Strudlhofgasse, a side street to Währinger Straße, and its lower section, a side street to Liechtensteinstraße at the height of Palais Liechtenstein.Because of its literary treatment in Heimito von Doderer’s novel The Strudlhofstiege or Melzer and the Depth of the Years (1951), it became the most well-known staircase in Vienna.

Architecture

In the lower section, which also features two fountains, the staircase is symmetrical and comprises two mirror-image, curving stairs.A head mask acts as a gargoyle over the lower, smaller fountain basin, while a fish’s mouth dispenses water in a niche lined with Danube gravel (in the interim with a mosaic) above the higher basin (in its original condition and again since the latest restoration).The system’s top sections are made up of stair and ramp pieces that present the user with continually shifting viewpoints.

The Strudlhofstiege had “several things to overcome at the time of its construction: on the one hand, very mundanely, the difference in height that natural phenomena had left in the landscape eons ago.”Passers-by should be able to save time by eliminating earlier diversions.Third, in terms of spatial compression, space saving needed to be taken into account.Fourth, the building had to respond to the surrounding area’s expanding structural needs.” “Three of these tasks were completed smoothly, while the rest – the need to save time – was only fulfilled with a certain irony,” the author writes.A building made entirely of steep landings, as was proposed as a (far less innovative) alternative variation, would undoubtedly have allowed pedestrians to use it more efficiently in terms of time.

Railings and candelabra in an iron construction with so-called lily-of-the-valley lighting intensify the staging effect, which goes well beyond ordinary traffic technology.Jaeger’s initial concept to create the stairs around existing trees did not come to fruition.Nonetheless, the vegetation (ivy, flowers, and shrubs) between the steps and ramps, the bed at the lowest section of the staircase between the two arches, and the two fountains give it the impression of a garden rather than a traffic route.This, possibly the most noticeable feature, distinguishes the complex not least as a product of its urban planning epoch, which conceptualized Vienna as a garden city.”

In a more original design, the elements of the staircase that are now green, evocative of Otto Wagner’s Stadtbahn railings, were painted blue.Prior to the 2008/2009 repair, frosted glass spherical lights replaced the original lighting fixtures.

Because of its open design, the staircase is also suited for outdoor gatherings.Concerts, for example, are staged there as part of the Vienna Choir Week.

History

Around 1680, Peter Strudel and his brother Paul moved to Vienna from Cles, Trentino. He relocated in the northern suburbs, where he founded the Strudlhof painting school in 1688, one of Central Europe’s earliest art academies. It was the forerunner of the present-day Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, modeled after the Accademia di San Luca or the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in Paris. However, after Strudel’s death, educational activities halted, and the Strudlhof was razed. The current Palais Strudlhof, which serves as a hotel and conference center, was built in the late 18th century.

In 1907, the adjacent street was renamed Strudlhofgasse. Shortly after, the Vienna municipal government, led by Mayor Karl Lueger, decided to build a stairway at the end of the street to enable access to the lower Lichtental terrain level beyond. The drawings were provided by architect Theodor Johann Jaeger (1874-1943), a municipal planning office employee. It was built from luminous Mannersdorf limestone and is considered an Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) masterpiece, mirroring Otto Wagner’s Stadtbahn architecture. The steps were ceremonially inaugurated on November 29, 1910, and have been renovated multiple times since then.

The symmetric lower section of the staircase is centered around two fountains, each with a waterspout shaped either a face mask or a fish head. The top, asymmetric section provides walkers with varied viewpoints as they pass by. Metal railings and candelabras give visual interest. The gorgeous structure is a popular venue for outdoor choral and music activities.

Heimito von Doderer (1896-1966), an Austrian novelist, wrote his social novel Die Strudlhofstiege or Melzer und die Tiefe der Jahre (The Strudlhof Steps or Melzer and the Depth of the Years) in 1951, one of the major masterpieces of 20th century Austrian literature. It was shot multiple times and adapted as a radio and theatrical play after being named after the staircase where several important story scenes take place.

Vienna, Austria