Kirche am Steinhof

Otto Wagner built this church in 1907 on a hill above Vienna as part of a new hospital campus, and it remains the clearest surviving statement of what Viennese modernism wanted to be. The exterior is white marble panelled and pinned with copper bolts under a gilded dome that shows from far across the city. Inside, Koloman Moser designed the glass, the floor slopes slightly so it could be washed down, the pews are short and rounded, and the holy water runs rather than stands. Every fitting was drawn for this building. It is a small church that repays slow looking.

History

The Church of St. Leopold was built from 1904 to 1907 with the Steinhof psychiatric hospital, and Otto Wagner consulted doctors and nurses on the needs of a chapel for its patients. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who disliked Wagner's style, opened it on 8 October 1907 without acknowledging the architect, while a newspaper two days earlier asked whether it was not a fine irony that Vienna's first sensible Secession building had been built for the insane; the most extensive restoration began in June 2000 (Wikipedia, Kirche am Steinhof).

What to look for

• The gilded dome - the copper dome that shows across western Vienna from the hill.
• The Moser windows - the stained glass designed by Koloman Moser for the nave and apse.
• The white marble cladding - the thin panels pinned to the walls with exposed copper bolts.
• The fittings - the pews, lamps, floor and water basins all drawn as part of one design.

When to go

Opening is restricted to a few hours on set days, usually at weekends and often as a guided visit, and the schedule changes through the year, so confirm before travelling out. Daylight matters here, so a bright afternoon beats a dull one. The hill is about half an hour from the centre by public transport.

Before you go

Getting in is the hard part: hours are short, the church closes for long stretches for restoration, and a wasted journey is a real possibility. It stands on the grounds of a working hospital, so approach quietly. The building is essentially one room, and visitors with no interest in design will not see the point.

Nearby

The Vienna Woods begin immediately to the west, and Wagner's city pavilions share the same hand.

Key facts