American Bar

Richard Ludwig Jr. (1880-1936) came from a family of Viennese artistic carpenters, but he was more interested in social life and cultural trends than in the craft itself. Therefore, he could not miss the sharp-tongued opinions that Adolf Loos circulated in the Viennese corridors. In 1908, Richard Ludwig Jr. obtained a license to sell alcohol so he could open a cocktail bar in a tucked-away alley two blocks from St. Stephen's Cathedral. He requested the project from Adolf Loos, who had stayed in the USA from 1893 to 1896, where he became familiar with this typology. Loos worked on the bar project even before Ludwig obtained permission to open a bar in Kärntner alley, as two earlier variants of the American bar at other Viennese addresses have been preserved.
The name of the bar comes from the slang term for a wooden barrier in a courtroom. The low wooden railing was transferred to hospitality venues, where the wooden counter separated the service from the consumers. Over time, the ideal dimensions for the height of the bar counter, stools, and layout of the working surface became established. In the 1890s, the popularity of these establishments crossed the Atlantic, starting a successful European campaign first in England, where Adolf Loos, a great admirer of British culture, often traveled and shared the latest trends in the pages of Viennese newspapers. In 1903, a magazine called Das Andere (The Other) began publishing in Vienna, which had the subtitle Journal for the Introduction of Western Culture into Austria. However, Loos's magazine did not attract interest and only two issues were published. The magazine Das Andere served as an appendix to the monthly Kunst, which was then edited by Peter Altenberg, whose portrait still hangs on the back wall of Loos Bar.
The intimate environment of the bar (4.45 m wide and 6.15 m deep) is accessed through a quartet of massive marble blocks supporting a glass awning with a stained-glass depiction of the American flag and a colored inscription "Kärtner Bar." In the upper band, under the cornice, there is also a second stained-glass window with the inscription "American Bar." The penetration of daylight into the interior is muted by a translucent wall above the entrance made up of square onyx tiles, creating a honey-colored atmosphere inside.
The lower part of the walls is lined with mahogany wooden panels (Peter Altenberg mentions African padauk). The upper part of the space is rhythmic with greenish-gray marble columns and mirror fillings that visually widen the room. In the mirrors, the grayish-white marble coffered ceiling is reflected endlessly, which has taken on a brownish hue over decades of smoking. Incidentally, smoking is still permitted here. The bar's floor consists of marble tiles arranged in a checkerboard pattern. The bar counter, with a mahogany handle, stretches across the entire six-meter depth of the room. Behind the counter, there are high stools made of bent wood from the Jacob & Josef Kohn company, which was later acquired by Thonet. Along the remaining two walls, booths with seats upholstered in dark green leather are installed. The drinks served can be placed on one of the three octagonal tables with white, softly glowing glass tops. Another source of light in the interior comes from wall lamps with silk curtains. All facilities and restrooms are located in the basement, accessible via a steep staircase.
The bar was meant to provide the Viennese public with a combination of an English gentlemen's club and an American cocktail bar. Loos originally intended for the bar's visitors to be exclusively men, which changed shortly after the opening.
In 1985, Hermann Czech, the author of a number of famous Viennese bars and cafes, carried out renovations, and in 1989, Burkhardt Rukschcio made some changes to bring the interior more in line with Loos's original intent.
In 1994, the management of the bar was taken over by Marianne Kohn (her grandparents owned a bent wood furniture business), known as the "queen of the night", who led the cult Viennese club U4 in the 80s and is currently managing "the only bar in Vienna".