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Vienna: Tickets for Kunst Haus Wien: Museum Hundertwasser
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You might happen to be walking along a street in district 3 of Vienna, look up and think ‘Have I ended up in Spain? That house looks like a Miro painting!”. Let us reassure you that you haven’t teleported: what has caught your eye is the colourful Hundertwasserhaus, Vienna’s most famous residential house.
You will find it at Kegelgasse 36-38 and you will have no difficulty recognising it: this masterpiece of contemporary architecture is an exuberance of bright colours, curved lines and trees growing on the walls. It was designed by Freidensreich Hundertwasser – pseudonym of Friedrich Stowasser (1928-2000) – an extraordinary 20th century Austrian artist, in collaboration with architects Josef Krawina and Peter Pelikan.
This “house in harmony with nature”, as its author himself called it, is an exceptional photographic subject, to be visited to liven up your holiday in Vienna, to discover the modern side of this elegant city and to get to know an artist who was able to render the modern issues of sustainability in his works.
Today it is one of the most visited attractions in Vienna and is part of Austria’s cultural heritage. Although the interior is not accessible to the public as it is an inhabited private residence, the building can be admired from the outside, with the Kegelgasse pedestrian area with benches and fountains inviting visitors to stop and take pictures of this masterpiece of contemporary architecture.
The Hundertwasserhaus is distinguished by a number of unique features. The multi-coloured façade is decorated with an extraordinary variety of bright colours: sunny yellow, deep blue, bright red, bright green and white alternate, creating a visual effect that immediately catches the eye. Each coloured section represents an ‘invisible tenant’ according to Hundertwasser’s philosophy, giving identity to each flat.
The asymmetrical windows are perhaps the most distinctive element of the building. No two windows are the same in size, shape or position, expressing the concept of the ‘right to a window’ that Hundertwasser promoted: each tenant has the right to decorate the façade around their window according to their personal taste, reaching as far as possible with their extended arm. This principle celebrates individuality and rejects the uniformity typical of rationalist architecture.
The green roof is completely covered with grass and has real trees growing not only on the top but also on the balconies and terraces. Over 200 trees and shrubs transform the building into a green oasis in the heart of the city, anticipating the modern concept of ‘vertical forests’ and urban roof gardens by decades. The floors inside the flats are deliberately undulating and irregular, following Hundertwasser’s principle that “the flat floor is an invention of the architect” which distances man from nature.
The absence of straight lines characterises the entire structure: curved walls, inclined columns of different colours and irregular surfaces create a sense of organic movement. Hundertwasser claimed that ‘the straight line is the atheism of architecture’ and that it did not exist in nature, so it should not exist in architecture either. Decorative elements of coloured ceramics, mosaics and tiles adorn different parts of the building, along with domes similar to those of oriental churches that add a fairytale-like touch to the whole.
A short walk from the famous house is the Hundertwasser Village, a very special shopping centre designed by Hundertwasser and opened to the public in 1991. The village comprises a central square, a café and numerous shops, all in the typical Hundertwasser style: with his visionary ideas and love of creativity Hundertwasser succeeded in transforming a former car tyre factory into a genuine work of art.
Forget the banal shopping malls with their ever-changing international chain shops, neon lights and loud music: here you breathe a completely different atmosphere – intimate, warm and romantic. Hundertwasser Village could be described as a medieval village with the flair and colours of contemporary art; a wooded forest grows on the roof of the village, a distinctive feature of Hunderwasser dictated by his love of nature.
It is pleasant to spend some time browsing the pretty little shops selling handicrafts, souvenirs and clothing, surrounded by a riot of curved lines and flowers. You will also find a couple of cosy cafés inviting you to take a break without rushing.
Admission to the Hundertwasser Village is free.
If, after visiting the house and the village, you have been fascinated by Hundertwasser’s imagination and would like to learn more about this radical, inventive, sometimes excessive but always brilliant artist, visit the museum he founded, the Kunst House Wien, located just a few minutes’ walk from the Hundertwasserhaus at Untere Weißgerberstraße 13.
The museum exhibits the world’s largest collection of works by Hundertwasser, including paintings, graphics and illustrations, tapestries and sketches for architectural works. A visit to the museum will give you a better understanding of the philosophical, ethical and creative principles that drove the work of this exceptional artist.
Besides the permanent exhibition on Hundertwasser, the Kunst House also hosts important temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and is one of the most prestigious venues for photographic exhibitions in Vienna. For young artists in Vienna, it is an important meeting point and workshop on the topics dear to its founder, namely urban quality, sustainability, climate change and recycling.
The building itself, needless to say, is another work of art in pure Hundertwasser style: again, it is a renovated factory, characterised by irregular decorative elements made of glass, metal, brick, wood and gaudy tiles. Prominent on the colourful façade of the house are the green trees growing on its walls and roof.
A visit to the Hundertwasserhaus is completely free of charge as the building can only be admired from the outside. The interior is not accessible to the public as it is an inhabited private residence and the tenants enjoy their privacy. The pedestrian area of Kegelgasse, with benches, fountains and green areas, has been specially equipped to allow visitors to comfortably stop and photograph the building from different angles.
The building is visible 24 hours a day from the outside, but the best times for photographs are early in the morning between 7.30 and 9.30 a.m. or late afternoon before sunset, when the light is more favourable and there are fewer tourists. The exterior tour takes about 20-30 minutes if you just observe and photograph the building, but many visitors choose to spend more time exploring the architectural details and also visit the Hundertwasser Village.
To visit the Kunst Haus Wien, the entrance ticket has standard adult rates with reductions for students, seniors and children. Children up to the age of 10 enter free of charge. The museum is included in the Vienna Pass, which offers free admission to over 70 attractions in the city. We recommend that you check the current opening hours and any temporary exhibitions on the official website before your visit.
The exterior of the Hundertwasserhaus can be seen 24/7 free of charge as it is a residential building located in a public area. There are no time restrictions for admiring the façade and taking photographs from the street, although it is recommended to respect the tranquillity of the inhabitants, especially in the evening and at night.
The Kunst Haus Wien is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., including weekends and holidays. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time. During certain times of the year there may be variations in opening hours, so it is always advisable to check the official website before visiting, especially during the Christmas and Easter holidays.
The Hundertwasser Village with its shops and cafés observes standard business hours, generally from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., depending on the individual establishments. The Kunstcafé on the ground floor, where it is possible to see the film about Hundertwasser free of charge, is open during the shopping centre’s opening hours and is a pleasant stop to learn more about the artist.
For a complete tour including an exterior view of the Hundertwasserhaus, a stop at the Hundertwasser Village and a visit to the Kunst Haus Wien, we recommend 2-3 hours. Those who only wish to admire the building from the outside and take a few photos can complete the visit in 30-45 minutes.
The Hundertwasserhaus is located at Kegelgasse 36-38 in Vienna’s 3rd district and is easily accessible by public transport. The nearest tram stop is Hetzgasse on line 1, from which the building is only a 2-minute walk away. This is the most direct option if you are in the historic centre of Vienna.
Alternatively, you can take the underground line U3 (orange) in the direction of Simmering and get off at Rochusgasse station, from where the Hundertwasserhaus is about an 8-minute walk away. Another option is to get off at Wien Mitte-Landstraße station (lines U3 and U4) and walk for about 12 minutes through a quiet residential area.
To reach the Kunst Haus Wien, the most convenient tram stop is Radetzkyplatz on lines 1 and O, which is located directly in front of the museum.
The location in the Landstraße district makes it easy to combine the visit with other attractions in the area such as Belvedere Castle (1.5 km away) or the Prater with its famous Ferris wheel (1 km away).
The Hundertwasserhaus is located at Kegelgasse 36-38 in the district of Landstraße, Vienna's 3rd district.
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