The outstanding Viennese architect Otto Wagner was one of Hoffman’s teachers at the academy and shared his opinion. Both regarded the role of the architect as extending beyond the art of building. Rather, architects should be designers that consider even the smallest items to create a harmonious whole. Hoffmann stayed true to this conviction throughout his life. No task was ever too big, and none too small.
Among Hoffmann’s architectural masterpieces are the Sanatorium Westend in Purkersdorf bei Wien as well as the Palais Stoclet in Brussels (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage), whose interiors and gardens were planned down to the last detail by Hoffmann himself.
He even took into consideration the wardrobe of the lady of the house. In his opinion, the dress she wore during the opening of the private Palais did not entirely harmonize with the rest of the ensemble, which prompted him to turn towards fashion design as well. Everything had to be perfectly styled, a true Gesamtkunstwerk!