Rufer House, Protected single-family home in Hietzing, Vienna, Austria

The Rufer House is a cube-like building at Schließmanngasse 11 in Vienna's 13th district, measuring 10 by 10 metres in plan and 12 metres in height. Its load-bearing exterior walls are stark white, with window frames kept to a minimum and openings arranged seemingly at random on the facade. A frieze and cornice run along the top, and a replica of portions of the Parthenon frieze is mounted low on the street side.

Adolf Loos designed this house in 1922 for Josef and Marie Rufer, and it was the first building where he fully applied his Raumplan concept, giving each room its own height and position within the structure. The house is seen as a turning point in Loos's career and in the broader story of modern architecture.

Casts of fragments from the Parthenon frieze are attached to the upper part of the exterior, which stands out against the plain white walls. This detail gives the building a layered quality that is easy to spot from the street.

The building is easy to see from the street, and a short walk through the neighborhood allows a good look at the facade. The interior is not generally open to the public, so it is worth checking in advance whether any guided visits are available.

The central column also acts as a framing device on the second floor, creating a diagonal view between the lower living area and the raised dining room. It grounds the entire house and serves as a fixed point of reference within the split-level Raumplan layout.