Desk from an Open-Plan Office of the Postal Savings Bank, Model no. 8159, c. 1906

The building of the Postal Savings Bank on Stubenring was built by Otto Wagner (1841–1918) from 1904 and completed in 1906. In one of his articles, Ludwig Hevesi (1843–1910) emphasized the building’s significance as a Gesamtkunstwerk (universal work of art) and described it as a “milestone in the history of Vienna’s functional and official buildings.” In keeping with the spirit of the Gesamtkunstwerk, Wagner also designed the interior decoration. For this commission, he collaborated with his student Marcel Kammerer (1878–1959). The furniture designed for the office rooms included desks with two drawers and – as seen in this case – a superstructure. The front legs were fitted with aluminum caps and the desk was stabilized with aluminum fittings on either side, from the legs to the superstructure. Wagner used aluminum not only for technical reasons (easily malleable, non-corrosive), aesthetic reasons (elegant sheen) and hygienic reasons, but also to make the construction visible.

HPW, 2022