BWM Architekten / Michael Manzenreiter Architecture: Hotel Topazz - best architects 14

BWM Architekten / Michael Manzenreiter Architecture

Hotel Topazz

best architects 14

commercial/industrial buildings

Place

Wien/Österreich

Studio

www.bwm.at

Photos

Anna Blau

Description

On a corner lot only 153 sqm in size in the heart of Vienna, the architecture studio BWM Architekten together with Michael Manzenreiter Architecture designed a new hotel building with a decidedly different look that enriches this historical setting in Vienna’s city centre. The showcase feature here is the idiosyncratic façade with oval windows studding a dark glass mosaic surface. The unusually shaped, slightly protruding windows open to the urban space like eyes. Inside, they form comfortable window seats from which hotel guests can observe the life of the city down below. The staggered window arrangement contrasts with the uniformity of the façades dating from the turn of the 19th century surrounding Hoher Markt square, while allowing the building to stand out playfully against the cityscape. The generously glazed ground floor gives passers-by a glimpse into the entrance area and the breakfast room below, further underscoring the house’s inviting urban character.