several of them organized a group called the Secession. They soon published a magazine called Ve r
Sacrumthat expressed the need for art and called for a new look at art and architecture. They pre-
sented their first exhibition within a year of their founding. This display of work proved to be so
successful that they collected sufficient funds to build an exhibition hall. The result was the Vienna
Secession building, located near the Naschmarkt and Karlsplatz, designed by member Josef Maria
Olbrich (Latham, 1980 ; Fergusson, 1997 ). The simple geometric shape was crowned by a dome of
gilded metal leaves.
This association of artists and architects was not a group united by style, but by a common
philosophy. They advocated an all-encompassing artistic environment, declaring: ‘To the time
its art. To art its freedom’ (Fergusson, 1997 , p. 13 ). This rallying cry called for art to be modern,
and allowed artists to choose a suitable expression. For the architects, this meant that the building
should both adhere to its function and celebrate it, rather than hiding it (Latham, 1980 ).
Besides Olbrich, other Viennese architects active in the Secession were Otto Wagner and Josef
Hoffmann.MEIJIIn 1854 , American and European ships arrived in the ports of Japan. Fifteen years later, in 1868 , the
last shogun was replaced with an imperial government. The Emperor’s aim was to modernize Japan
by adopting culture and technology from abroad. His goals included organizing a military force,
changing the boundaries of social classes, and centralizing the government. This period 1868 to
1912 launched Japan’s transition. Called Meiji, the era embraced architectural styles from the West,
especially European (Stewart, 1987 ). Following 1850 , European-style architecture was constructed
in Japan, modified by the local climate, availability of technology, and the influence of local custom
(Stewart, 1987 ). In addition to buildings designed by foreigners, Japanese architects were construct-
ing projects in a pseudo-western style called giyofu, such as the Kaichi school ( 1876 ) by Seiju
Tateishi; the Tsukiji Hotel for foreigners ( 1868 ) and the First Mitsui Bank Headquarters ( 1872 ) by
Kisuke Shimizu II. In the early 1870 s, the Ministry of Technology opened a school staffed with pro-
fessors imported from Europe. The giyofubuildings were often composed of Dutch, British, and
Italian elements combined with such things as Japanese-style tile roofs. These unique compositions
were described as ‘carpentry [attempting] to mimic buildings constructed of masonry’ (Stewart,
1987 , p. 27 ).
Many artists and architects were influenced by the influx of Japanese culture into the West. In the
late 1880 s, the impressionist painters and Art Nouveau graphic artists found inspiration in the grace-
ful Ukioyewoodblock prints. As an example, Josef Hoffmann, along with the Secession artists,
utilized aspects of Japanese art. The Arts and Crafts architects, especially Greene and Greene, were
attracted to Japanese culture because of the well-crafted and exposed joinery, which reinforced their
notion of the craftsman/laborer.
The legacy of these architects has been associated with the architecture of the turn of the century.
In most cases, this period was a prolific and identifying period of these architects’ careers, even
though the pessimistic years following World War I did not sustain their individual styles to any
extent. Despite the short span of time during which these projects were built, their effects were
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