(b Zagreb, 31 Jan 1879; d Zagreb, 21 Sept 1936). Croatian architect. He studied at the Technische Hochschule, Vienna (1897–1903). He then became an associate of Adolf Loos and also worked until 1909 on the restoration of the Burg Kreuzenstein, near Korneuburg, Austria, under the direction of Friedrich Ohmann. Erlich’s most significant undertaking of the period was the completion (1906) of the Villa Karma, Clarens, Switzerland, begun by Loos in 1904 but abandoned after arguments with the client, the psychiatrist Theodor Beer. Ehrlich subtly interpreted Loos’s original concept and created a seminal building of modern architecture. He added pergolas to the four corners of the pure cube of the original design, thereby relating the building to the landscape in a way not originally envisaged by Loos. In 1909 Ehrlich returned to Zagreb and until 1918 worked in partnership with VIKTOR KOVACIC. These two architects represented the avant-garde movement in Zagreb at that time, and they achieved important works including the urbanization and layout of Strossmayer Square; the Grand Café Medulic; the Frank House (1913–14); and several villas at Josipovac (all in Zagreb). In 1922, together with Loos, Ehrlich designed an alternative project (unexecuted) for the Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb. On Kovacic’s death in 1924, Ehrlich succeeded him as Professor of Architecture at the newly established High Technical School, Zagreb; he also completed the building of the Stock Exchange (1923–4), Zagreb, designed by Kovacic. In the 1920s and 1930s Ehrlich designed a series of prominent buildings in Zagreb, including the Slav Bank (1921–3), Vlaska Street; the Industrial Bank (1924–5), 38 Ilica; the Pension Fund Building (1934), Jelacic Square; and several villas.

• Ehrlich, Hugo
  • collaboration
    • Kovacic, Viktor
    • Loos, Adolf, §1: Training and early work, before 1910
  • pupils
    • Albini, Alfred
    • Denzler, Juraj
    • Gombos, Stjepan
  • staff
    • Kauzlaric, Mladen
  • works
    • Zagreb