Josef Hoffmann: Celebrating a Design Visionary

Josef Hoffmann is an architect, co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Workshop) and groundbreaking furniture designer. He is recognised as a pioneer of the modern design movement that emerged in Europe in the late 19th century. His work continues to captivate design aficionados today.

In fact Hoffmann’s iconic furniture, including the Kubus armchair, is just as striking and relevant now as it was when it was first released in 1910. In celebration of Josef Hoffmann, we explore this extraordinary designer’s life and legacy.

Image of Josef Hoffman with his iconic Kubus armchair from 1910.

Born in Brünn (now Brno in the Czech Republic) in 1870, Josef Hoffmann attended the State Crafts School and later the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Here, he studied with architect Otto Wagner and won the distinguished Prix de Rome in 1895.

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Josef Hoffmann + The Secession

Alongside architect Joseph Maria Olbrich and artists Gustav Klimt and Koloman Moser, Hoffmann founded the Vienna Secession. The Secession comprised a group of architects, designers and artists who aimed to bring a progressive new breed of art to Viennese audiences. This group of artists rejected the extravagant ornamentation of the day in favour of radical simplicity.

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Hoffmann + The Viennese Workshop

Hoffmann also founded the Viennese Workshop in 1903 – a design cooperative that produced exquisitely crafted furniture and homewares. Here, he was a major designer. Hoffmann produced a large number of significant works that would go on to influence many styles. These design styles include Bauhaus and Art Deco.

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Design Ethos of Hoffmann

Josef Hoffmann believed that good design is a way of life. And so, he sought to integrate it into every aspect of daily life. Hoffman’s belief would later become a fundamental principle of modernism.

With Hoffmann’s work, the simplicity of its construction enables the furniture to be perfectly reproduced using modern production methods. This ensures that every piece produced is perfectly formed down to the finest detail. Which is ideal for furniture master-crafter’s like Austria’s Wittmann who have the rights to produce many of his pieces.

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Hoffmann + Wittmann Workshops

As testament to his enduring design legacy, several of Hoffmann’s pieces are still being produced by Wittmann Workshops today. These include Fledermaus chair, Kubus sofa and armchair, Alleegasse sofa and chair, and Sitzmachine chair. The Kubus design pieces are distinguished by their sharp gridded lines and cubist form.

Wittmann and Hoffmann share a similar design ethos; a commitment to traditional values and an openness to modernity. This perspective results in furniture that is at once boldly new and timeless in its appeal. Hoffmann’s original vision is a defining influence at Wittmann Workshops. Further to this, it is a source of inspiration for every handcrafted piece Wittmann produce.