Secession Building

The Secession Building in Vienna is an exhibition pavilion completed in 1898 and purpose-built for the Vienna Secession artists’ association. Designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich, the building is a landmark of Viennese Art Nouveau architecture, noted externally for its white facade crowned by a gilded, laurel-wreath-like dome.

Inside, the Secession was conceived as a flexible gallery space for rotating exhibitions and manifestos; it famously housed Gustav Klimt’s Beethoven Frieze in the early 20th century, which remains a defining work associated with the building. The interior and façade both embody the Secession’s break with historicist styles.

The structure was commissioned and funded by members of the Secession group as a venue for avant-garde art and exhibitions, and it opened in the late 1890s. Since then it has operated continuously as an exhibition space and cultural site, with periodic restorations to preserve its distinctive exterior and interior features.

The building stands in Vienna’s inner districts near Karlsplatz and the Ringstraße, easily reached from central city tram and metro stops and frequently included on walking tours of Vienna’s historic Art Nouveau landmarks.

• Architectural fact: Completed in 1898 for the Vienna Secession movement, the building is a key example of Viennese Art Nouveau and was designed by Joseph Maria Olbrich.
• What to look for: The gilded dome is a recognizable exterior feature; interior exhibitions change regularly but the Beethoven Frieze is a lasting highlight when on display.

What to See #

• Main Hall and Gilded Dome: Main exhibition hall designed as a white cube with a signature gilded dome on top, originally built as the Secession artists' gallery at the end of the 19th century.
• Beethoven Frieze room: An interior room housing Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze, displayed as part of the building's permanent collection and central to its early exhibitions.