Honored with the Muvamo Award for its iconic bar atmosphere.
Loos American Bar Through Time
Loos American Bar, also known simply as the American Bar or Loos Bar, is one of the most storied drinking spots in Vienna – and certainly one of the smallest. Loos American Bar, conceived by architect Adolf Loos and unveiled to the public in 1908, remains a landmark of early modern design. At a time when Vienna flourished with Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) ornamentation, Loos took a radical turn. Loos argued that architecture should eliminate superfluous ornament, a concept he later cemented in his influential essay Ornament and Crime.
The bar was inspired by American cocktail culture, which was just beginning to spread across Europe. Loos envisioned a space that felt both cosmopolitan and intimate. Despite its limited size – just 27 square meters – he created a space that feels richly textured and unexpectedly spacious. Using a palette of mahogany, brass, green onyx, and mirrors, Loos mastered the use of light and perspective to expand the perceived space.
Over the decades, Loos Bar became a discreet favorite among Vienna’s intellectuals, artists, and architects. Its understated elegance and architectural integrity have helped it withstand over a century of change – from two World Wars to shifts in drinking culture. Remarkably, the design has remained almost entirely unchanged since its opening.
Today, the bar is considered a design icon and an essential pilgrimage site for fans of modernist architecture.
