The Vienna Secession, located near the beginning of the Naschmarkt, is one of the city’s most recognisable Art Nouveau buildings. Its famous dome of golden laurel leaves has become one of the architectural symbols of Vienna.
The building was designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich and completed in 1898 as a home for the progressive artists’ association known as the Vienna Secession.
Artists including Gustav Klimt sought to create an independent platform outside the more conservative artistic institutions of the time.
The Secession building remains closely connected with Gustav Klimt and the development of Viennese Art Nouveau.
One of its most important permanent works is Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze, a monumental interpretation inspired by Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Alongside the Beethoven Frieze, the upper galleries host changing exhibitions of contemporary art, continuing the Secession’s historic commitment to artistic freedom and experimentation.
