The Architecture: A Built Vision

The Architecture: A Built Vision

Today's MuseumsQuartier has a dynamic history. Almost three hundred years passed from the beginning of the construction of the imperial stables in the early 18th century and the area's later use as a fairground and exposition center to the opening of the MuseumsQuartier Wien in 2001. The architectural evolution of the complex was marked by periods of interruption and expansion. The historic buildings, which at first sight appear to originate from the same period, were in fact built in different phases. Although the most recently introduced structures clearly have the most defining influence on the appearance of the MQ today, new buildings have been added to the complex throughout its existence, not only since the advent of the MuseumsQuartier. Ortner & Ortner, an acclaimed Austrian architectural firm that has also attracted attention with projects in cities like Zürich, Dresden, and Berlin, designed the MuseumsQuartier with the intention of unifying the existing historic buildings with contemporary architecture. At the MQ, Laurids Ortner ensured that the design facilitated a connection on all levels between old and new, art and recreation, artists and the public.

The MuseumsQuartier was created in a revitalized ensemble of Baroque stables in the middle of Vienna's city center. Together with the Hofburg palace, the Neue Burg, and the museums of art and natural history, the complex represents a historically unique force field that was originally intended to complete the planned Kaiserforum. The MuseumsQuartier is the largest cultural project in the history of the Republic of Austria. Its numerous portals and passageways, newly designed forecourt, and relaxation zones in the interior courtyards form an urban axis that brings the city's individual cultural areas even closer together.

The interplay between historic and contemporary architecture, both on the outside and on the inside, is the defining motif of the MuseumsQuartier. The most prominent new structures are home to the three biggest institutions in the Main MQ Courtyard: the LEOPOLD MUSEUM, the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (MUMOK), and the KUNSTHALLE wien behind the former winter riding hall. These buildings interact with each other and also refer to the urban design situation of the inner city and the adjacent 7th District. Additionally, their designs reflect the different contents of the institutions they house. A detailed architectural description is in the section "An Architectural Tour of the Complex."

Architect Manfred Wehdorn was responsible for the renovation and adaptation of the structures classified as historic monuments, in particular the Fischer von Erlach Wing, which today houses the quartier21 creative cluster. The structural units integrated within the Baroque architecture are representative of the Viennese tradition of small-scale architecture and were designed by young Austrian architects.

In designing Electric Avenue, the Oval Wing, and transeuropa, special attention was given to the historic features of the MuseumsQuartier structures.

For instance, the meandering Electric Avenue (designed by PPAG Anna Popelka und Georg Poduschka) with its shops and presentation spaces is an angular variation on the rhythm of the nooks and windows of the existing Baroque structure. The glass walls accompanying the passageways from the Forecourt to the Main Courtyard are integrated in this same rhythm. All of the walls and ceilings are the same silver color. Offices are located on the upper deck. In the Oval Wing (designed by BEHF) the partial rhythmic opening of the roof to the south created little green courtyards. They serve as a buffer zone between public passageways, offices, and the living rooms and bedrooms of the residential apartments. In freiraum quartier21 INTERNATIONAL in the transeuropa area (designed by awg_AllesWirdGut), activities revolve around a free-standing installation that functions as a base station of sorts for the 400-square-meter exhibition and event space. As a connecting element, multipurpose furniture elements are distributed through this part of the building like a backbone. Several rooms were created by introducing a gallery level. The scaled texture of the grey Eternit fiberboard paneling is a striking visual element.

The Baroque arches and ceilings that form an important aspect of the architectural appearance of the MQ figure prominently in the design of the various eating and drinking establishments.

For example, the architectural firm Gruppe EOK - Gregor Eichinger transformed the historic emperor's loge into HALLE, a modern café restaurant set in the stylish ambience of the former winter riding hall. The elegant furnishings (by Eichinger oder Knechtl) form a modern counterpoint to the old stucco.
French architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal were responsible for the design of Café Restaurant CORBACI. The ceiling tiles, produced in Istanbul, were specially designed in cooperation with the architects by Asiye Kolbai-Kafalier, a Turkish artist living in Vienna.
Glacis Beisl, in turn, was redesigned by the architectural firm Arkan Zeytinoglu and combines Viennese tavern tradition with modern elements. Dark wood juxtaposed with absinthe green Resopal tabletops and a terrazzo floor create a distinctive look. The winter garden and pergola define the outdoor seating area and establish a connection with the interior space. Sunscreens form an exterior shell and establish an interface with the surroundings by breaking up the outer surface.