French Embassy in Vienna

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French embassy

The French Embassy in Vienna is housed in a palace at Schwarzenbergplatz in Vienna's 4th district, Wieden . It was the first French embassy to be planned as such.

history

The planning of the embassy was entrusted to the Parisian architect Georges Chedanne in 1901 , who had already won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1887 . The building permit dates from September 1904. The palace was designed in the Art Nouveau style and described as a “homage to Viennese Art Nouveau”.

Furnishing

On the main facade there are two depictions of Austria by Paul Gasq and France by François Sicard . The depictions of wine on the balcony railing were realized by Alexander Nehr according to plans by Louis Majorelle . At the back of the building is a representation of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity by Hippolyte Lefèbvre . The gate of the main entrance in the rear area of ​​the building was also realized by Alexander Nehr. Inside the building, much of the handicrafts are based on designs by Louis Majorelle . He designed all wrought iron work, wall paneling, wall lighting, door handles and the banister. He had much of it made in the École de Nancy . Above the stairs there is an allegorical depiction of Maria Theresa and the start of the republic by Albert Besnard .

The lamps and chandeliers come from Gagneau and Daum, the large mirrors from Saint-Gobain. The elevator is a work by the Viennese company Freissler & Füglister.

Trivia

The style of the building was controversial for a long time, the interior decoration, also in Art Nouveau style, is only partially preserved in the original. The building, deliberately designed in a modernist way, was long considered a temple of bad taste, it was considered a style break and provocation and was in danger of being torn down. Because of the appearance of the building, which stands out in its style from the more classical houses around it, the legend arose in Vienna that the plans were exchanged for those of the French embassy in Constantinople (today's Istanbul ) during the construction. It has been claimed that the building was intended for Constantinople (or Cairo). That is not true. First of all, the property of the Viennese building has a rarely occurring triangular floor plan, at the base of which the main house was planned and at the top the auxiliary buildings. The building site also means that the main entrance of the house is not on the front. The building plans take this particular situation into account. In addition, France already had a representative building in the then capital of the Ottoman Empire, a palace in Pera . As the basis of the rumor, it is published that the planned interior was not yet available when the embassy was relocated (from the Lobkowitz Palace). It was only when the new furniture had arrived that the old furniture was sent by train to the French embassy in what was then Constantinople, from where the dining room furnishings came to the consulate in Smyrna , while other items came to Brussels . The building planning office was also set up in Constantinople in 1909 and was used there for the renovation of the Palais Pera. This renovation was also led by architect Chedanne.

In addition to the French embassy in Vienna, there is a similar embassy building with a garden in Buenos Aires, Argentina .

  • Austria by Paul Gasq and France by François Sicard

  • Liberty, Equality, Fraternity at the back by Hippolyte Lefèbvre

  • Door handle by Paul Gasq

  • Staircase made by the École de Nancy based on plans by Louis Majorelle

  • Painting above the stairs. Allegorical representation of Maria Theresa and the departure into the republic by Albert Besnard

See also

literature

  • André Lewin: The French Embassy in Vienna. History of the house on Schwarzenbergplatz with anecdotes about ambassadors of France from four centuries. Deuticke, Vienna 1995, ISBN 3-7005-4647-5 ( research and contributions to the history of the city of Vienna 28).

Web links

Commons : French Embassy in Vienna  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Lewin, message . Page 5.
  2. ^ Lewin, Embassy . Page 52.
  3. ^ Lewin, Embassy . Page 12, footnote 23.
  4. ^ Lewin, Embassy . Page 34.
  5. ^ Lewin, Embassy . Pages 12-13.

Coordinates: 48 ° 11 ′ 55 "  N , 16 ° 22 ′ 28.3"  E