Weltstadthaus (Vienna)

The “Weltstadthaus” on Kärntner Strasse

The Weltstadthaus is a building in Vienna's 1st district, Innere Stadt , Kärntner Strasse 29–33, which opened on September 1, 2011. It was planned by David Chipperfield and it was built as a branch for Peek & Cloppenburg . It is the eleventh of the houses that have been given the name “Weltstadthaus” by the group, including the former Herzmansky department store on Mariahilfer Strasse .

The facade consists of light Danube limestone, which is intended to tie in with local architectural traditions (for example the color of the Leopold Museum ). A particularly noticeable feature are the 85 large windows, which, unlike most department stores, are not limited to the ground floor, but also extend into the upper floors in an additive manner. The architect himself speaks of a “house of windows” which give the building the effect of a museum. The aim is to continue the classic building typology in a modern way and to make the house appear not as a single piece, but as part of a higher-level structure.

Inside, the sales levels are accessed through a central atrium that is flooded with daylight thanks to a translucent glass and bronze structure. It has 11,800 m² of retail space.

criticism

The architect's intention that the house should fit into the existing urban structure was viewed by some critics as partially unsuccessful even before the opening. Andreas Lehne, for example, writes in the press about a brutal grid facade that would fit into any post-war German pedestrian zone.