Haas House, Vienna (must see)

The Haas House of Vienna is a very modern example of architecture in a town where there is a premium of buildings done in a conservative manner. In fact, the project to build this structure was highly debated and contested. It almost didn’t happen at all. The architect of record was Haus Hollein.

The issue surrounds the fact that the modern style building, made of concrete and lots of glass, sits next to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Such a change in style was considered to detract from the classic beauty of the old Catholic house of worship.

The facade of the location is round, and is reminiscent of the old Vindobona. This style of home can be found all across the First District of the City. Newer homes were built on top of the old Roman structures underneath, and tried to use some of the those structures to anchor newer buildings. In a similar way, the Haas project tried to use these principles to have the building blend into the architecture of old. Take a ride to the top of the building, to the coffee house, and enjoy the view of the old Cathedral, along with a lovely cup of coffee.