I went to see the Barbie movie last Thursday. A friend had suggested it, we thought it would be silly fun. Well turns out Barbie is having an existential crisis. The film addresses men and women’s roles and interaction in society. Everyone I know who has seen it has said – I think I need to see that again.

And so I think it appropriate this week to visit the various Barbie Dreamhouses over time.

Barbie Dreamhouse was introduced in 1962, 3 years after Barbie came on the scene. Over time a cardboard bedroom became a townhouse, an A-frame, and a McMansion.

Even Archdaily got into the Barbie mania comparing 4 architecture styles: the ranch house, the A-Frame, the Victorian McMansion, the influencer condo

A New York Times article features 6. The cardboard fantasy, the bohemian townhouse, progressive cabin, buggle gum mansion, future Victorian, content house.

Peopleofplay‘s post shows the most pics.

I’m not sure how, but I stumbled upon a series called World’s Greatest Palaces. In this episode I was introduced to Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. Schönbrunn was home of empress Maria Theresa. Marie Antoinette spent much of her childhood there.

This post took me down a rabbit hole. Well they often do, but this one had unexpected twists and turns. The video states that the palace is in the Rococo style. The Palace’s Wikipedia page states it is in the Baroque style. I’ve heard it said that Wikipedia has errors, but today I encountered one. I first found a video that compared Baroque to Rococo – it proved to be long and unhelpful. Another video had a similar outcome. Finally, I landed on a couple of videos (one on Baroque architecture and one on Rococo architecture) which were helpful and I can now state that the palace is in the Rococo style. Rococo style is described as light, lively, asymmetrical.


Schonbrunn Palace (click link, then click Watch on YouTube)





Great Gallery




Gloriette in the garden




Palace Complex with the gloriette in the foreground and Vienna in the background




Nepture fountain with the gloriette in the background




The Nepture fountain and the great parterre




A garden pavillion – Kammergarten pavillion




View of the gardens




View of the gardens in autumn




Orangery




Columbary




Palm house




Palm House




Sundial House




Privy garden in winter




Palace seen through Neptune fountain