Carl Holzmann


Carl Holzmann was an Austrian architect who designed several apartment buildings in the centre of Vienna, mostly in the Historicist style. They include the Paulanerhof and the Habig-Hof.

Biography

Carl Holzmann was first trained as a bricklayer. After a period in Germany and Upper Austria, he settled in Vienna, where he worked for a builder in Liesing and attended Mathias Prem's building school. From 1873 to 1875, he was foreman for City Architect Sonnleithner and the building contractor Johann Sturany. From 1875 to 1877, he studied at the Vienna University of Technology. He then worked for the Union-Baugesellschaft, where he contributed to the Palace of Justice as deputy foreman and to the Hofburg Palace as a draftsman. In 1885, Holzmann started his own construction company, which was initially successful but, probably as a result of inadequate quotations, fell into bankruptcy in 1906. As a result, he had to sell all his properties. Thereafter Holzmann worked on national or provincial assignments for the remainder of his life. His firm was still in debt when he died at the age of 65 but was maintained by his wife and daughter until 1928.

Approach

Carl Holzmann designed his buildings strictly in accordance with Historicist principles although his later works were decorated in the Vienna Secession style. His buildings in the centre of Vienna exhibit a representative style while those in the outskirts were influenced by the Swiss chalet style. Holzmann often bought old properties, replacing them with buildings to his own designs. He included components of all the fashionable styles of his day, integrated by his own experienced hand. Hardly a proponent of innovation, he simply kept up with mainstream architectural trends.

Works