Vienna's Ringstrasse

Vienna's Ringstrasse is 5.3 kilometers long. Long enough to provide space for numerous monumental buildings, which were built during the period of Historicism in the 1860s to 1890s. Today, the buildings that stand there – from the Vienna State Opera to the Museum of Fine Arts – are among the most important sights in the city of Vienna.

  

"It is my will..." - with these words, Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the building of the Ringstrasse in 1857. Nobles and rich citizens hurried to build pompous palaces along this magnificent boulevard. Many of these former private homes can still be admired today (mostly, however, only from the outside). The style in which the buildings were built went down in history as the Ringstrasse style (a type of Historicism). It is marked by a pluralism of styles: numerous architectural forms of previous epochs were imitated.

The most noteworthy buildings are not the palaces, but rather the large buildings such as the State Opera (built in the style of the Neo-Renaissance), the Parliament, City Hall (Flemish Gothic), the Burgtheater (New Baroque), the university (Neo-Renaissance), the Museum for Applied Art, the Vienna Stock Exchange, and the Votive Church (New Gothic), which were all constructed in the second half of the 19th century. Especially worth seeing are also the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum, both of which were built in the Neo-Renaissance style. They not only hold awesome art and natural treasures, but are also architectural masterpieces.

Master builders such as Theophil von Hansen, Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer, Gottfried Semper, Heinrich von Ferstel, and Friedrich von Schmidt shaped the image of the Ringstrasse. At the end of the 19th century, following the time of the Ringstrasse architecture, came Viennese Art Nouveau, which turned away from the ostentatious pomp and splendor.

  

  

Vienna. Buildings by Nobel Prize winners

Vienna’s architecture scene is thriving. The former imperial city contains top-class buildings by well-known architects. The annual Pritzker Architecture Prize is the architectural equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Previous winners Hans Hollein, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, Zaha Hadid and Jean Nouvel have all created architectural landmarks in Vienna: From the Gasometer to the Haas House and the WU Campus.

  

Who does not recognize St. Stephan’s Cathedral as the symbol of Vienna? Since 1990 its image has been reflected across the square in the glass façade of the Hans Hollein-designed Haas Haus. Hollein became the first Austrian to win the Pritzker in 1985, the world’s most prestigious architecture prize. The prize was first awarded in 1979 by American hoteliers Jay and Cindy Pritzker, owners of the Hyatt chain. The annual award comes with a cash prize of USD 100,000 and is comparable to a Nobel Prize. Previous winners include Philipp Johnson, Richard Meier, Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas.

Hollein’s Haas Haus is just one of the many spectacular structures that gives Vienna a modern image, despite the ever-present baroque splendour. This pioneer of post-modernism has created commercial spaces for clients including Schullin Jewelers (1984). He also worked on the ramp at the Albertina (2003) and the renovations of the Hilton Hotel (2002). Hollein has also designed several office towers in and around Vienna, including the Mediatower (2001) on the Danube canal and the towers for construction firm PORR on the Laaer Berg (2003).

In 1991 Swiss architectural duo Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron completed a housing estate on Pilotengasse in the Vienna suburbs. Over 200 single-family homes were constructed on stilts with earth-tone paints used on the exteriors to reinforce a direct relationship between the structures and the terrain. In 2001 Herzog and de Meuron were awarded the Pritzker Prize in recognition of their work. Iraq-born architect Zaha Hadid designed an apartment house elevated on stilts in Spittelauer Lände that straddles Otto Wagner’s historic commuter train arches. The project was completed in 2005. Her spectacular library building on the new campus of the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration was opened in 2013.

The most recent winner of the Pritzker Prize is the French architectural star Jean Nouvel. He was awarded the 2008 prize for his life’s work. Nouvel created a distinctive apartment complex in Vienna’s 21st district in 1998. Each building has an E-shaped floor plan and exudes Mediterranean charm. His most outstanding project, however, is one of the four former gas towers in Simmering—a distinctive example of industrial architecture in this new district that started to spring up in 2001. Rather than completely rebuilding the interior of Gasometer A, Nouvel instead elected to construct living spaces in the towers that is molded to fit the inside of the curved exterior walls. The glass roof and use of materials such as glass and steel create a sense of airiness. The Hotel Hotel SO/ Vienna on the Danube Canal, which opened at the end of 2010, is Jean Nouvel's latest masterpiece in Vienna. The interesting multi-story building, also called Nouvel Tower, presents a different structure from every angle.

Vienna. Art Nouveau and Modernity

In addition to the familiar Gothic and Baroque buildings, Art Nouveau has a fixed place in Viennese architecture. At the turn of the 20th century, prominent architects such as Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, and Joseph Maria Olbrich erected world-renowned buildings such as the Secession, the Postal Savings Bank, and the Loos House.

  

Vienna was one of the birthplaces of modernity at the beginning of the last century. In architecture too, master builders blazed new trails. Above all, it was Otto Wagner who shaped Vienna's skyline as we know it today. He preferred a geometric variant of Art Nouveau. His buildings are clear and usually symmetrically-arranged - matter-of-fact and down-to-earth. The most important Wagner buildings in Vienna are the stations, premises and bridges of the former Stadtbahn (today U4 and U6), the Majolika House and Muse House on Wienzeile, the Church on Steinhof and the Postal Savings Bank. The noteworthy component of Art Nouveau architecture were the ornaments. These were used especially for the exterior design. Marble, glass, tiles, metal applications, colorful pieces, and gilding ennobled the houses.

Floral ornaments are on one of the most important Art Nouveau buildings, the Vienna Secession. Built by Joseph Maria Olbrich in 1898, it was the first exhibition building in Central Europe to be dedicated to modern art. Another important representative of Viennese Art Nouveau was Josef Hoffmann. His villas in the 19th district still give an impression of the style that dominated at that time.

Adolf Loos and his Loos House

Adolf Loos spoke out against any decoration of buildings; his purely functional architecture thus distanced him clearly from the Art Nouveau style. The Loos House on Michaelerplatz is the best evidence of his work: instead of ornaments, high-quality materials were used both inside and out. The "house without eyebrows" (because the small roofs over the windows that were common at the time were lacking here) was a shock for citizens of Vienna who were used to Historicism and for Kaiser Franz Joseph, who could see the house from the Imperial Palace and loathed it.

The First World War and the collapse of the monarchy in 1918 brought about the end of Viennese Art Nouveau. The social housing of "Red Vienna" shaped the Viennese architecture of the period between the wars.

  

Vienna. Architecture and design. New campus of the University of Economics and Business

Vienna’s architecture is booming: Dominique Perrault built the imposing DC Tower, Austria’s tallest building, Jean Nouvel constructed a modern hotel by the Danube Canal, and Coop Himmelb(l)au's angled residential tower nestles against the old gasometers. One of Europe's most modern railway stations has also been created with the new Vienna Main Station.

   

New campus of the University of Economics and Business

Internationally recognized architects designed the new campus of the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Vienna therefore not only has a new university, but also a new destination for people with an interest in architecture.

There's space here for 25,000 students and 1,500 employees, the building cost EUR 492 million and took 41 months to complete: the new campus of the Vienna University of Economics and Business is the new architectural landmark next to the Prater. The building was designed by world-renowned architecture offices:

• Zaha Hadid Architecture from Hamburg was responsible for the "Library & Learning Center".
• CRABstudio from London was in charge of faculty building D3 and the administrative building.
• The studio of Hitoshi Abe from Sendai, Japan, designed faculty building D2 and the "Student Center".
• Estudio Carme Pinós S.L. from Barcelona provided the design for faculty building D4.
• NO.MAD Arquitectos from Madrid constructed the "Executive Academy".
• BUSarchitektur ZT Gmbh from Vienna was responsible for faculty building D1 and the "Student Center".

Above all, Zaha Hadid's imposing library building stands out on the new campus. The rest of the buildings are grouped around it. The futuristic architecture is a real head-turner. However, its interior purpose – it is a university campus, after all - is a given.

The entire area is the bigger than the size of twelve football pitches: 35,000 m² were built on, 55,000 m² are available as publicly accessible open space. The entire campus was built on the basis of a "Green Building" concept: building envelopes and facilities were planned to be as energy-efficient as possible.

  

Viennese nightlife

Vienna's club scene is all about parties with music of the highest quality. Electronic music from Vienna is known for creating an international sensation - and with good reason. The parties range from chic to underground. Clubs such as Flex have already attained cult status. The program there is just as varied as at the city's other party venues.

  

The establishments under the arches of the former Stadtbahn railway along the Gürtel, such as Chelsea, B72 and Rhiz, have been fixed features of Vienna's nightlife scene for years. Flex, Grelle Forelle and Werk are just some of the clubs that make up the party area by the Danube Canal, which is joined by numerous beach bars in the summer. Night-owls also make their rounds on the Ringstrasse: at the Volksgarten Disco, Säulenhalle, Babenberger Passage and Albertina Passage as well as at the Platzhirsch.

Albertina Passage

The dinner club at the Vienna State Opera offers sophisticated cuisine, live jazz music and DJ sounds in a futuristic ambience.

  

A former pedestrian underpass now shines with a new glow as a chic dinner club. The Albertina Passage is an exciting combination of top-class dining, classic American bar and club with live music. The food has a focus on light, Asian-inspired cuisine.

Dancing, drinks & club

The refined seating niches are grouped around a stage on which live music with a focus on jazz is played on Fridays and Saturdays from 10.00 pm. When DJs take over the music program in the Albertina Passage, guests can also dance to their heart's delight. Special eye-catchers are the futuristically curved cocktail bar as well as the stage and walls, which can be illuminated in a wide range of colors. The venue has space for around 300 visitors.

Club Schwarzenberg

The club on Schwarzenbergplatz promises a party feeling and entertainment of the highest standard.

 

A club in the style to be found in the party metropolis of Ibiza was the goal of the host at the new Club Schwarzenberg. The premises of a former movie theater was given a chic makeover. Club Schwarzenberg now presents itself on the highest level, both architecturally and as far as the sound and lighting systems are concerned. 46 LED light rings create a visual experience. The enormous room height even makes it possible for artists to perform acrobatic stunts at lofty heights on occasion.

The music focuses on R’n’B, hiphop and house. The club aims to appeal to a crowd between 20 and 40 years of age, which is why admission is restricted on some days to the over-20s only. VIP tables can be booked in the gallery and come with special extras such as an ice cube dispenser and secure cell phone charging stations.

Volksgarten Club Disco

The disco in Vienna city center is actually set in the midst of a wonderful garden. The Volksgarten Club Disco has a long history and has survived as a hotspot of Viennese party culture for decades, despite the fast-moving club culture.

 

When locals go "to the Volksgarten", they are not normally talking about the park, but about a disco. And not just any disco, but one of the best locations, which has been a fixed point of the city for decades. The history of the Volksgarten Club Disco goes back over 180 years. Today, the extensive establishment around the architecturally attractive glass pavilion offers both open-air and indoor nights with international greats of the party culture scene.

After renovations, the winter garden captures a special flair, featuring original furniture from the 1950s. The open-plan interior conveys a cozy feeling, with palms, Thonet furniture and old chandeliers. The music consists of house, disco and party hits.

The former Volksgarten Banane, an addition to the disco, is now managed as an independent club under the name "Säulenhalle".

Vienna. Experience design & gourmet

Big name architects including Adolf Loos, Eichinger oder Knechtl, Sir Terence Conran, Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal have created bars and restaurants in Vienna that are well worth a visit thanks to their design alone!

  

Vienna has a long tradition of bars and restaurants with unusual interior designs. The Loos Bar is a classic example. A century ago Viennese architect and modernist pioneer Adolf Loos created a timeless atmosphere with his compact American Bar.

The British star designer Sir Terence Conran is responsible for the interior design of the Brasserie & Bakery in The Guesthouse Vienna, where he has emphasized the décor to be found in traditional Austrian establishments of the early part of the 20^th century. The restaurant’s armchairs were made according to designs by the famous post-war architect Oswald Haerdtl. All of the brass items, including the coat stands, come from the Carl Auböck Workshop in Vienna.

Given its location at the Architekturzentrum Wien in the MuseumsQuartier, quality architecture is must for Café Restaurant Corbaci. French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal have based their philosophy around the intelligent treatment of a minimalist approach to using materials, and this is plain to see at Corbaci. The mosaic ceiling work from Turkish artist Asiye Kolbai-Kafalier provides a suitable contrast to the minimalist architecture elsewhere.

Eichinger oder Knechtl have also produced a convincing solution for Unger und Klein, a cross between a wine store and bar. A long, curved wine shelf dominates the bar, clearly showing that the wine is the central attraction, and helps with orientation and storage. Here, aesthetics and culinary enjoyment go hand in hand.

The Viennese architecture office BEHF has already made its mark on a large number of restaurants in the city. At the refined Japanese restaurant Shiki, the architects from BEHF have included many individual details – from the hand-made and hand-painted Japanese paper ceiling in the brasserie to the wall painted with piano lacquer in the fine dining room.

Restaurant Steirereck is not only one of the best restaurants in the world but also plays every visual trick there is. The team of architects from PPAG opened up the restaurant towards the Stadtpark. The park is reflected in the metal external façades, the windows can be opened outward and upward in fine weather. That creates a feeling of modern airiness inside, as do the floor made from Danube pebbles and the light oak paneling.

The stylish interior of the Asian restaurant Market near Naschmarkt is by Birgit Eschenlor. A central eye-catcher is the giant flower lamp by the artist Robert Thierry. The architect masterfully places colored accents using textile artworks.