The return of the Frankfurt cuisine: a piece of design story in Vienna

The return of the Frankfurt cuisine: a piece of design story in Vienna

The well-known Frankfurt cuisine, designed by the talented Viennese architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky in 1926, conquered the world in the storm. This innovative and functional cuisine is the prototype of the modern fitted kitchen and reflects an era of change in the kitchen design. Schütte-Lihotzky’s concept relied on efficiency and ergonomics, which shows up in her personal cuisine at Franzensgasse 16 in Vienna-Margaret. This kitchen was not only designed according to their ideas, but also adapted to their needs in old age, which includes ergonomic work surfaces and user -friendly extracts.

In 2021, Schütte-Lihotzky's apartment was listed, and after extensive renovation work it was made available to the public in 2022. Now the kitchen shines in the original shine - as the architect used until her death in 2000. This reconstruction requires great precision and careful detailed work.

complex reconstruction

The reconstruction of the kitchen was not an easy undertaking. All elements were based on an elaborately designed carpenter, which was tailored to the specific design features of Schütte-Lihotzky. Renate Allmayer-Beck, the architect of the Mobimenti planning office, describes the challenges: "For all products and devices, we had to go on a long, international search." For example, the stove, which is very similar to the original, was found in Germany, while the handles of the fittings, designed by the Danish designer Verner Panton, came from an international online platform. The arabesque tiles that were imported from Japan were also the result of a long search.

fully functional

"Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky would have been particularly pleased that her kitchen is decorated with these Arabesque tiles again, because it has greatly valued Japanese culture," added Allmayer-Beck. But the kitchen is not just a museum piece; It is fully functional. An unmistakable feature are the through that the kitchen connects directly to the adjacent terrace and the dining room. These special elements were reconstructed with great care in order to harmoniously restore the original charm of the kitchen. According to the original window design of the 1960s, the kitchen window to the terrace was recreated as a wooden frame with sliding lesians in two levels, and the throughout the dining room now shines in its faithful condition.

The restoration of this historical cuisine impressively shows how good design can not only be timeless, but also adaptable. The respect for the architecture and culture of Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky is shown in every corner and leaves a deep impression with the visitors. The history of this kitchen is not only the story of a design, but also that of a woman who wrote history with her work in architecture.