The Stoclet House by Josef Hoffmann

244
EDUARD
the First World War broke out and dramatically
,. marked the end of an era for which the Stodet House
had been a characteristic and leading monument. The
post-war years had other interests than the house of
an art-lover. But partly the reason must be sought in
the direction Hoffmann's career as a designer had
taken after the Stodet House, a direction not likely to
attract the attention of the avant-garde.
Erich Mendelsohn, in a letter of 14 March 1914,
evaluated the Stoclet House, at that time still new and
topical, from his point of view: '... Was grossziigig
daran ist, ist der neue Wille, vieles von dem was ich
ausfiihrte. Nur noch nicht vollendet, noch nicht das
Werk, noch nicht Stil. Noch sind es Flachen von
Innenwanden und nicht Gesichter der Struktur und
(kr tektonischen Notwendigkeit.>73
Some twenty years later E. Persico could be more
detached when he assessed the value of the Stodet
House for his generation in an article in Casabella
entitled 'Trent'anni dopo il Palazzo Stoclet'. His
words were recently quoted again, significantly to conclude
the first volume of a history of modern architecture
74 -the volume that brings the story to the
73. ' ... what is great about it is the new will, much of what I
have explained. Only not yet finished, not yet the work, not yet
style. These are still surfaces of inner walls and not faces of
structure and of tectonic necessity.' Erich Mendelsohn, Briefe
eines Architekten (Munich, 1961),27.
74. Leonardo Benevolo, Storia del/'architettura modeTtla (Bari,
The author wishes to express his appreciation to the Council of
the Harvard Foundation for two grants which materially aided
his research for this paper. The late Mr. Jacques Stoclet and his
widow permitted several visits to their house and provided information
othe.wise unobtainable. Mrs. Karla Hoffmann, widow
of the late Josef Hoffmann, very kindly made material available
from the estate of her husband and extended every possible help.
Without her full-hearted cooperation this paper could not
F. SEKLER XXVI
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
threshold of the Modern Movement. What follows is
an excerpt from Persico's essay, in translation:
Weare not talking of the Stodet Palace here in
o!der to present it as a model of the architecture of
today; it is judged as a part of its environment, and
from this some lessons are to be drawn. First that it
was in tune with its time ... in the relation of the
style to the most vital ideas of its time. Measured by
this standard the Stodet Palace is an outstanding
example ... will the architects of today be able to
realize in art a comparable totality of life? To resist
the temptations of rhetoric and to retain the tradition
of European architecture without deviations?
These questions ... let the Stodet Palace appear as
the monument of an epoch that was glorious for the
destinies of art.
In retrospect, it appears indeed that the Stoclet House
marked the high-point internally and externally in
Hoffmann's entire c£uvre. 75 It remained an achievement
in scope, quality and significance which he did
not surpass during the rest of a long and fruitful
career. He had been 35 when he began the Stoclet
designs and he died, aged 86, in 1956.
1960), 429, quoting from E. Persico, Scritti critici e polemici
(Milan, 1947), 183.
75. The most comprehensive recent summary of Hoffmann's
reuvre was given by Hans Ankwicz-Kleehoven in his article for
Neue Osterreichische Biographie, x (Vienna, 1957).
have been written. Many other individuals have helped by
answering enquiries and providing valuable indications for
which I am deeply grateful. They include DDr. Gerhart Egger,
Mile Mina Martens, Mr. Pierre Genlet, Prof. Thomas Howarth,
Prof. Victor G. Martiny, Mr. Adolph K. Placzek, Dr. Arthur
Graf Strachwitz, Prof. Herbert Thurner, Mr. Erich Vencour
and Dr. Hans M. Wingler. Last but not least my wife has been a
patient and helpful critic and aide.
- ILLUSTRATIONS

. ..
p

,.
Eduard F. Sekler: The Stoclet House by ]osif Hoffmann XXVI
2. Preliminary Design, plan of ground floor, pencil and crayon (Collection of the author)
3. Preliminary Design, plan of upper floor, pencil (Collection of the author)
XXVI Eduard F. Sekler: The Stoclet House by ]osifHoffmann
4. The model, photographed from the street side (courtesy Karla Hoffmann)
6. The model, photographed from the garden side (courtesy Karla Hoffmann)
5. Design by]osefHoffmann for a
small wedge-shaped wall cabinet
(from Das Interieur, II, 1901)

1 I. Design for the vestibule, initialed]. H.
(from a photograph in the author's collection)
Eduard F. Sekler: The Stoclet House by Josif Hoffmann XXVI XXVI Eduard F. Sekler: The Stoclet House by Josif Hoffmann
12. Design for washroom and toilet facilities, initialed]. H.
(from a photograph in the author's collection)
14. Design for the great hall, pencil, pen and crayon
(courtesy Museum des XX. Jahrhunderts, Vienna)
13. Design for the kitchen (from a photograph in the author's collection) 15. Design for the music- or theater room, pencil, pen, crayon and wash (courtesy Museum des XX. Jahrhunderts, Vienna)

Eduard F. Sekler: The Stodet House by Josif Hoffmann XXVI XXVI Eduard F. Sekler: The Stodet House by Josif Hoffmann
25. Sheltered area under bridge-like curved central portion ofgarden fa

Eduard F. Sekler: The Stoclet House by Josif Hoffmann
36. The music- or theater room (photo: Minders, Genk)
37. The large dining room with mosaics by Gustav Klimt (photo: Ritter)
XXVI
'!)
XXVI Eduard F. Sekler: The Stoclet House by Josif Hoffmann
38. The breakfast room; the carpet is not the original one (photo: Hubmann)
39. Josef Hoffmann at lunch in the breakfast room, 1955 (photo: Ritter)