This Incredible Living Building Hosts More Greenery on Its Facade Than the Original, Undeveloped Plot of Land

The incredible <a href="http://www.hundertwasser-haus.info/en/">Hundertwasserhaus</a> apartment complex, covered on all sides with trees and foliage, has been turning heads in Vienna for the past thirty years. Built by the iconoclastic Austrian artist-cum-architect <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedensreich_Hundertwasser">Friedensreich Hundertwasser</a> with the goal of providing more space for plants and trees than the building supplemented in the original undeveloped lot, the Hundertwasserhaus has become one of Vienna's most famous and beloved landmarks.

Next year will mark thirty years since the construction of artist <a href="http://www.hundertwasser.com/">Friedensreich Hundertwasser's</a> iconic <a href="http://www.hundertwasser-haus.info/">Hundertwasserhaus</a> in the Kegelgasse district of Vienna, Austria. Hundertwasser's fantastical artistic vision was inspired by his dream to truly align architecture with nature in every sense. At its conception, the artist vowed to replace every piece of vegetation lost in the construction of the residential complex. For every square foot of structure built, an equal area of trees and shrubs was added, resulting in the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/gorgeous-green-house-wrapped-in-a-vertical-garden/">abundant majestic greenery that cloaks its facade </a>today.

Hundertwasserhaus' colorful exterior is a stunning exhibition of individuality.

Aside from its organic shapes, forested roofs and ample vegetation, the facade of Hundertwasser Haus is majestic in its own right.

It was Hundertwasser's wish that every tenant have his or her own "window right" to embellish the facade around his or her own windows, contributing to the building's natural fluidity, varied color blocking, and individualized aesthetic.

Hundertwasser and Krawina designed and built Hundertwasserhaus without any special permits, within a standard construction time, and within the small budget of a public project.

The same bespoke window technology supplied by <a href="http://www.neuffer.de/">Neuffer</a>, one of the world's first energy-efficient window manufacturers, were also used in the construction of <a href="http://www.hundertwasser.com/arch/view-76">another Hundertwasserhaus in Bad Soden, Germany</a>, and have held up in both buildings for an astonishing three decades plus, with no retrofits.

Hundertwasser tenants are allowed to embellish the outside of their windows in any way they choose.

The uneven curvatures in its foundation live just like a forest floor, symbolizing the artist's belief that <a href="http://inhabitat.com/index.php?s=urban+development">urban development</a> has removed human dignity by forcing inhabitants to walk on flat surfaces.

Even the tiles in the kitchens and in the bathrooms were laid irregularly to avoid "the grid system."

Over 200 trees and shrubs cover the exterior of Hundertwasserhaus.

Its original <a href="http://www.neuffer.de/">Neuffer wooden bespoke windows</a> were insulated for energy efficiency and purposefully scattered in all different sizes in no coherent order.

Since it's construction, millions of tourists have visited from all around the world.

Anyone who lives in Hundertwasser still has the right to decorate outside of their own windows in any way they choose.

The incredible <a href="http://www.hundertwasser-haus.info/en/">Hundertwasserhaus</a> apartment complex, covered on all sides with trees and foliage, has been turning heads in Vienna for the past thirty years. Built by the iconoclastic Austrian artist-cum-architect <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedensreich_Hundertwasser">Friedensreich Hundertwasser</a> with the goal of providing more space for plants and trees than the building supplemented in the original undeveloped lot, the <a href="http://www.hundertwasser-haus.info/en/">Hundertwasserhaus</a> has become one of Vienna's most famous and beloved landmarks.