Hundertwasser Around the World

I first discovered Hundertwasser architecture when I was researching things to see in Vienna.

I’d never heard of Friedensreich Hundertwasser before, but as soon as I saw photos of his colourful, quirky buildings, I knew I had to see them for myself.

And once I did, I was hooked.

I loved that his buildings were so different from everything around them. They were colourful and slightly crazy, with uneven floors, unusual windows, plants growing from rooftops and barely a straight line in sight. There was always another little detail to notice.

That first visit to the Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna started a bit of a travel obsession.

Since then, I’ve kept an eye out for Hundertwasser’s work whenever I travel. Sometimes I’ve deliberately gone out of my way to find it.

Other times I’ve stumbled across it completely by accident – including one particularly lucky wrong train in Vienna!

It’s become one of those little things I enjoy about travelling. Once you discover an artist, architect or style you love, suddenly you start spotting connections in completely different places. Seeing another Hundertwasser feels a little like adding another piece to a collection.

So far, I’ve found his architecture and artwork in Austria and Germany, but there are examples scattered around the world – and quite a few more are still on my travel list.

Here are the Hundertwasser places I’ve visited so far, along with some of the ones I’d still love to see.

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Who Was Friedensreich Hundertwasser?

Friedensreich Hundertwasser was an Austrian artist, environmentalist and architectural designer, born Friedrich Stowasser in Vienna in 1928.

Although he’s probably best known today for his colourful buildings, he began as a painter. He briefly attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna before leaving to develop his own distinctive style.

Over his lifetime, his work expanded well beyond painting. He created prints, postage stamps, flags and architectural designs, and was passionate about the environment and the idea that buildings should work with nature rather than push it aside.

That philosophy is a big part of what makes a Hundertwasser building so recognisable. He rejected straight lines and uniformity, instead embracing curves, uneven surfaces, bright colours, individually designed windows and plenty of greenery.

Hundertwasser travelled extensively and developed a particularly strong connection with New Zealand, where he bought land in the Bay of Islands and spent much of the later part of his life.

He died in 2000, aged 71, while travelling aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried on his New Zealand property beneath a tulip tree.

His architectural legacy continued after his death. Some projects based on designs he created during his lifetime were completed afterwards, often involving his long-time architectural collaborator Peter Pelikan.

So when you come across a building described as “Hundertwasser”, it isn’t necessarily one he personally saw completed – something I discovered when I started looking more closely at the places I’d visited.

What Makes Hundertwasser Architecture So Distinctive?

Once you’ve seen a few Hundertwasser buildings, his style becomes surprisingly easy to recognise.

Straight lines were definitely not his thing. Instead, you’ll find curved walls, uneven floors and irregular shapes. Windows might be different sizes or positioned at different heights, while columns are often brightly coloured and individually decorated.

Colour is another giveaway. Hundertwasser wasn’t afraid of bold combinations, mosaics, shiny tiles and splashes of gold.

But it wasn’t all about making buildings look quirky.

Hundertwasser believed people shouldn’t be separated from nature simply because they lived in a city. Plants, trees, rooftop gardens and vegetation growing from buildings feature heavily in his designs. He even promoted the idea of “tree tenants” – trees growing from windows and terraces and effectively sharing the building with its human occupants.

He also believed people should have more freedom to personalise the spaces where they lived rather than every apartment and window looking exactly the same.

The result is architecture that feels a little chaotic, very colourful and completely different from the neat, symmetrical buildings we’re used to seeing.

And perhaps that’s why I enjoy finding them so much. You really can’t walk past a Hundertwasser building without taking a second look.

Hundertwasser Places in This Guide

If you’re looking for Hundertwasser architecture on your own travels, these are the places covered in this guide.

Places I’ve visited:

• Hundertwasserhaus – Vienna, Austria
• Hundertwasser Village – Vienna, Austria
• Kunst Haus Wien – Vienna, Austria
• Spittelau waste incineration plant – Vienna, Austria
• Kuchlbauer Tower and KunstHausAbensberg – Abensberg, Germany
• Austria Fountain – Zell am See, Austria

Still on my list:

• Hundertwasser Toilets – Kawakawa, New Zealand
• Hundertwasser Art Centre – Whangārei, New Zealand
• Green Citadel – Magdeburg, Germany
• Hundertwasser Environmental Railway Station – Uelzen, Germany
• Markthalle Altenrhein – Switzerland
• Maishima Incineration Plant – Osaka, Japan

I’ve personally visited everything in the first list. The second list is my own Hundertwasser wish list – places I’ve researched but haven’t yet visited.

Hundertwasser in Vienna, Austria

Vienna is where my Hundertwasser obsession started, and if you want to see several examples of his work in one city, this is a great place to begin.

I originally went looking for the famous Hundertwasserhaus, but by the time we left Vienna we had seen four very different places connected with him.

Hundertwasserhaus

Hundertwasserhaus was the building that first caught my attention while I was planning our trip.

Built between 1983 and 1985, this residential apartment building is everything I had come to expect from the photos – colourful walls, irregular windows, trees growing from the building and hardly a straight line anywhere.

But the photos hadn’t prepared me for all the little details.

Even the pavement outside ripples up and down rather than being perfectly flat. I remember walking around the building looking for the next unusual feature and finding something different every time I changed position.

Because Hundertwasserhaus is home to residents, you can’t go inside the apartments. You can, however, walk around the exterior and see it from several angles.

Hundertwasser Village

Directly across the road is Hundertwasser Village.

The building was once a tyre workshop before being transformed in the early 1990s into a small shopping area in Hundertwasser’s distinctive style.

Inside you’ll find shops and places to grab something to eat or drink, but for me the building itself was the interesting part. The uneven floors, colourful columns, tiles and greenery continue inside, so you get a chance to experience this style of architecture from within rather than only looking at a façade.

There’s even a very Hundertwasser-style public toilet.

Kunst Haus Wien

Not far away is Kunst Haus Wien, another building transformed according to Hundertwasser’s ideas.

This one surprised me because, after all the colour of Hundertwasserhaus, the exterior is predominantly black and white. It still has plenty of the familiar Hundertwasser touches, including irregular shapes, mosaics and greenery.

The building was once part of the Thonet furniture factory and was converted into Kunst Haus Wien between 1989 and 1991.

It’s particularly worth visiting if seeing the buildings makes you curious about the man behind them. The permanent Hundertwasser exhibition includes paintings, graphics, tapestries and architectural models.

Unlike Hundertwasserhaus, this is somewhere you can go inside and spend some time learning more about his art and ideas.

If you’re exploring more of Vienna, another beautiful interior worth seeing is the State Hall of the Austrian National Library.

Spittelau Waste Incineration Plant

Our fourth Hundertwasser discovery in Vienna was completely unplanned.

We had once again managed to get on a train going in the wrong direction. When we realised, we jumped off to change trains – and while we were waiting, I noticed a building outside that looked strangely familiar.

By then I knew enough about Hundertwasser to recognise the style.

Instead of getting straight onto the next train, we went outside to investigate.

It turned out to be the Spittelau waste incineration and district heating plant, which is probably one of the most unusual industrial buildings I’ve ever seen. Its huge golden sphere, colourful façade and irregular design make it difficult to mistake for an ordinary waste facility.

Hundertwasser redesigned its exterior after a fire in the 1980s, turning a very functional piece of city infrastructure into something worth stopping to look at.

Getting on the wrong train doesn’t always work out quite so well, but on this occasion I was very happy that we did.

Hundertwasser in Abensberg, Germany

By the time we visited Munich, I was actively looking for Hundertwasser buildings rather than simply stumbling across them.

We were planning a day trip from Munich to Regensburg when I discovered there was another Hundertwasser creation in the small Bavarian town of Abensberg. It wasn’t quite on the way, but it was close enough that I decided a detour was definitely required.

The reason for our visit was the Kuchlbauer Tower at the Kuchlbauer brewery.

Kuchlbauer Tower

Hundertwasser designed a 70-metre tower for the brewery in 1999, but it couldn’t be built in that form.

After Hundertwasser died in 2000, his long-time friend and collaborator Peter Pelikan independently adapted and replanned the project. The tower we see today was built between 2007 and 2010.

At around half the height Hundertwasser originally proposed, it certainly doesn’t feel small when you’re standing underneath it.

The tower is dedicated to Bavarian beer and brewing, which makes its location at a centuries-old brewery particularly appropriate.

But you don’t need to be interested in beer to appreciate it. With its bulbous golden top, colourful tiles and curved shapes, it is unmistakably influenced by Hundertwasser.

KunstHausAbensberg

Right next door is KunstHausAbensberg.

This building was designed by Peter Pelikan rather than Hundertwasser himself, but the influence is immediately obvious. Pelikan worked closely with Hundertwasser for many years, and the building continues many of the same ideas and architectural features.

Inside is an exhibition dedicated to Hundertwasser, with original artworks and information about his architectural projects and collaboration with Pelikan.

Unfortunately, our detour came quite late in the day and we arrived too late to properly explore inside.

It was still absolutely worth stopping in Abensberg to see the buildings from outside, but this is one Hundertwasser stop where I feel like I have unfinished business.

If I find myself back in this part of Bavaria, I’d like to return with enough time to go inside.

Hundertwasser in Zell am See, Austria

My next Hundertwasser find was completely unexpected.

We were in Zell am See for the lake and mountain scenery, and I had no idea there was anything connected to Hundertwasser there.

Then, while walking beside the lake, I spotted a colourful fountain that immediately caught my attention. By this stage, I knew enough about Hundertwasser’s work to think, that looks familiar.

Sure enough, it was one of his designs.

The Austria Fountain

The Austria Fountain sits right beside Lake Zell and represents Austria and its nine federal states.

Nine colourful ceramic columns rise from the fountain, each representing a different state. Their heights correspond to the populations of the states, while the colours reflect those used in their coats of arms.

Hundertwasser began designing the fountain in 1996. Peter Pelikan was responsible for the building planning, while sculptor Hans Muhr handled its technical conception and execution. Construction stretched from 1996 to 2003, meaning Hundertwasser didn’t live to see the finished fountain.

It’s nowhere near as large or dramatic as Hundertwasserhaus or the Kuchlbauer Tower, and if you didn’t know what you were looking at, you could easily walk past without realising its significance.

For me, though, that was part of the fun.

I’d started out in Vienna knowing absolutely nothing about Hundertwasser. Now I was standing beside a lake in another Austrian town, recognising his style before I’d even checked who designed the fountain.

That was when I realised this Hundertwasser thing probably wasn’t going away.

So far, Vienna, Abensberg and Zell am See are the places where I’ve seen Hundertwasser’s work for myself. But they’re certainly not the end of the hunt.

Hundertwasser Places Still on My List

The places in this section are not places I’ve visited yet. They’re ones I’ve researched and added to my list for future travels – starting with New Zealand.

Hundertwasser in New Zealand – A Future Visit

New Zealand isn’t simply another country with a few Hundertwasser buildings. It became an important part of his life, which makes it one of the places I’m most interested in visiting.

Hundertwasser first visited New Zealand in the 1970s and bought property in the Bay of Islands. He later became a New Zealand citizen and spent much of the later part of his life there.

I actually had a New Zealand trip planned and expected to see some of his work while I was there. Then Covid came along and that trip never happened.

So I still haven’t visited these places myself. When I finally make it back to this part of New Zealand, these are the two I’ll be looking for.

Hundertwasser Toilets, Kawakawa

Perhaps the most wonderfully odd Hundertwasser attraction anywhere is a public toilet.

The Hundertwasser Toilets in the small Northland town of Kawakawa were redesigned by Hundertwasser, who became personally involved in the project. They opened in December 1999, just a few months before his death.

The design incorporates recycled materials, a wall made with bottles, trees and plants, along with the irregular shapes and colourful details typical of his work.

It might seem slightly ridiculous to plan a future travel stop around a public toilet, but after deliberately detouring to see a brewery tower in Germany, I don’t think I can pretend that’s beneath me.

Hundertwasser Art Centre, Whangārei

The other big one on my future New Zealand itinerary is the Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery in Whangārei.

The centre was almost 30 years in the making and finally opened in February 2022.

It was created from Hundertwasser’s original concept and incorporates many of the features I’ve come to love in his work – irregular lines, colourful columns, mosaics, vegetation and a rooftop garden.

Inside is the largest collection of Hundertwasser artworks outside Vienna, while the Wairau Māori Art Gallery showcases contemporary Māori art.

I can’t give you my personal impressions of either place yet – but when that long-delayed New Zealand trip eventually happens, Kawakawa and Whangārei will definitely be part of it.

More Hundertwasser Places I’d Like to See

New Zealand might be at the top of my Hundertwasser wish list, but it certainly isn’t the only place where I could continue my collection.

There are Hundertwasser buildings scattered across Europe and even as far away as Japan. I’m not planning trips around all of them, but if I find myself nearby, you can be fairly sure I’ll be checking the map to see if a detour is possible.

Green Citadel, Magdeburg, Germany

Despite its name, the Green Citadel of Magdeburg is predominantly pink. It has golden spheres, irregular windows, colourful details and green roofs.

Hundertwasser worked on the project before his death, but the building wasn’t constructed until 2003–2005. Today it contains apartments, shops, cafés, a hotel and other businesses.

This is probably the German Hundertwasser site I’d most like to add to my collection.

Hundertwasser Environmental Railway Station, Uelzen, Germany

Another German one that appeals to me is the Hundertwasser Environmental Railway Station in Uelzen.

Rather than designing a completely new building, Hundertwasser redesigned an existing 19th-century railway station. The project was completed in 2000.

I like the idea of something as ordinary and practical as a railway station becoming a piece of art – particularly because travelling by train is one of my favourite ways to get around Europe.

Markthalle Altenrhein, Switzerland

Markthalle Altenrhein, near Lake Constance in Switzerland, is another Hundertwasser architectural project and was completed in 2001.

Originally intended as a market hall for regional organic produce, it is now used for cultural events.

This is exactly the sort of place I can imagine discovering during a European road trip and immediately changing the day’s plans to squeeze in a visit.

Maishima Incineration Plant, Osaka, Japan

Perhaps the one that intrigues me most is in Osaka.

Yes, it’s another waste incineration plant.

Hundertwasser redesigned the Maishima Incineration Plant, including its enormous 120-metre chimney. The project was completed in 2001.

There’s also a separate Hundertwasser-designed sludge treatment facility nearby, completed a few years later.

After accidentally finding the Spittelau plant in Vienna, seeing its Japanese counterpart would bring this particular Hundertwasser story rather nicely full circle.

And knowing me, these won’t be the only ones I find. Part of the fun now is not knowing where the next Hundertwasser might turn up.

Where Will I Find Hundertwasser Next?

When I first added Hundertwasserhaus to our Vienna itinerary, I had no idea it would turn into something I’d still be looking for years later.

That’s one of the things I love about travel. You discover something completely new in one place and suddenly it gives you another reason to explore somewhere else.

For me, Hundertwasser has become one of those little threads connecting different trips. I’ve deliberately made detours to find his buildings, stumbled across his work when I wasn’t expecting it and even discovered one because we got on the wrong train.

And there are still plenty more to find.

New Zealand remains high on the list after my original trip was derailed by Covid, and I’d particularly love to finally see the Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa and the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei.

But I’m also hoping there will be a few more surprises along the way.

I’ll keep adding to this post whenever I find another Hundertwasser on my travels. And if you’ve come across one somewhere in the world that you think I should see, let me know – I’m always happy to add another detour to the list.

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