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At the far end of Kohlmarkt lies Michaelerplatz , dominated on one side by the exuberant arc and green dome of the neo-Baroque Michaelertrakt , the southern gateway into the Hofburg, begun in the 1720s by Fischer von Erlach's son, but only completed in the 1890s. Its curving balustrade bears a lively parade of eagles, giant urns and trophies, while the gate's archways are framed by gargantuan statues of Hercules and, at either end, fountains overburdened with yet more ungainly statuary. The centre of the square is now occupied by a collection of archeological remains uncovered during work on the nearby U-Bahn station of Herrengasse. LED texts in several languages explain the significance of the rubble that lies exposed in a designer concrete trench (another of Hollein's works); most of what you see are nineteenth-century heating ducts - hardly heart-stopping stuff. Much more significant is the Loos Haus , on the corner of Kohlmarkt and Herrengasse, which caused an uproar when it was built in 1910-11 by Adolf Loos. Franz-Josef despised this "house without eyebrows" - in other words, without the sculpted pediments that sit above the windows of most Viennese buildings. Work on the building was temporarily halted due to the protests, and only allowed to continue after Loos had acquiesced to adding bronze flower boxes. Today, with its rich Cippolin marble columns that frame the main entrance, it's difficult to see what all the fuss was about. If you want to take a closer look, the bank holds regular exhibitions on the first floor of the building, so feel free to walk in.
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