wong
plain orthgraphic drawings that survive of his work. The often banal nature of reading plan to section and section to elevation is requiste in unlocking the secrets of the Loosian interior. A “part to whole” understanding of these drawings requires the practice of reading these corresponding views to forge a comprehensive mental picture of space. An alignment between stairs in section and plan become the measure by which we see the subtle, shifting of floor levels – where landings become entire rooms, and where the intentionality of the program is revealed. Social Use of Space The arrangement of Loos’s rooms reflect codes and etiquettes of the social structure of the times. Many of these houses were serviced by domestic help, therefore the arrangement of interior spaces reflect strict lines of public and private. Shared arrangements from the earliest houses to the more recent demonstrate a regard for the entry sequence. Foyer spaces were often small and not very grand. These opened onto larger, light-filled rooms for dispensing heavy outerware and jackets. The equipment in these spaces tell the story of intimate domestic rituals matched to the architecture – e.g., the removal of damp coats to be hung on brass metal hooks, built-in mirror glass so that one could check their appearance before engaging the pleasantries of social exchange with hosts, etc. Often there were simple porcelain sinks to wash-up at, plumbing fixtures that Loos favored and openly exhibited in these introductory spaces of the house.2 Loos often drew up designs for Jewish patrons who were part of the middle and rising class of merchant families looking to own residences in the growing single-family neighborhoods outside city centers. Often there were parlors and platforms in these houses for family members who played musical instruments or engaged in special communal activites. Dedicated alcoves for pianos (e.g., the Strasser House) or seating and storage areas for cello instruments (e.g., Moller House) helped provide the correct unfolding of spaces but also a feeling for the theatrical and acoustical value of Loos’s
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