Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky (1897-2000) was born in Vienna and left a lasting mark on her time. She was one of the first women in Vienna to study architecture and also considered to be the first female Viennese architect to extensively practice the profession. She was a pioneer in the field of social housing, an advocate of the women's and peace movement, and a resistance fighter against National Socialism.

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And she is considered to be the mother of the fitted kitchen. In 1926, Schütte-Lihotzky designed the so-called Frankfurt Kitchen, the forerunner of the fitted kitchen. Everything had to be compact and easily within reach, yet have a high claim to design. This standardized kitchen was installed in around 10,000 homes. But the pupil of Adolf Loos spent her whole life not wanting to be reduced to this one attribute. "I am not a kitchen" is one of her most famous statements.

Transformation into a museum

Schütte-Lihotzky spent the last 30 years of her life in a 55 square meter apartment on Franzensgasse in Vienna-Margareten, which she created according to her own designs. After her death in 2000, the apartment was renovated and redesigned. The Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky Club, an independent association founded in 2013, had the heritage-listed apartment reconstructed in 2021/22, so that it be experienced again today as it was in Schütte-Lihotzky's time. A full year was spent refurbishing the apartment and its 35 square meter roof garden. On view are many original items of furniture like lamps, curtains, and tables, as well as videoed conversations with Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky. The eye is drawn to a 100-year-old Kyrgyz tapestry that has been painstakingly restored. The meticulously reconstructed kitchen has also been open to visitors since 2024. 

Today, the museum serves as a showroom and is open to visitors on two days of the week (Tuesday and Friday). In addition, it is a place of research that is dedicated to the history of Austrian architects. The exceptional Viennese female architect is already encountered on the outside: An art project on the projecting firewall of the neighboring building portrays Schütte-Lihotzky. On view is a large, painted portrait section designed by the team of artists known as PRINZpod.

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In the footsteps of Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky

Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky can still be encountered in other places in Vienna: A replica of the Frankfurt Kitchen can be seen in the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna. In 1989/90, the museum and the architect designed an exemplary reproduction, which is on permanent display in the collection of studies. In addition, Margarete-Schütte-Lihotzky-Hof (21st district), Schütte-Lihotzky-Weg (11th district) and Margarete-Schütte-Lihotzky-Park (5th district) remember this extraordinary Viennese personality.

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