Vienna

I spent the second half of my travel break this semester in Vienna, Austria. I was visiting my mom’s friend Nicola and she was such a great hostess! I love getting to see cities from a local’s perspective. I got a public transportation pass and spent the days exploring the city while Nicola was at work. From trying to see as many Adolf Loos buildings as I could, to getting icecream on Neubaugasse, I really enjoyed Vienna.

Schönbrunn Palace

The park around Schönbrunn palace was so beautiful. I didn’t go inside the palace but I did walk around the garden and up the hill.

Wotrubakirche

Nicola took me to see this incredible church just outside Vienna. It’s unlike any other building I’ve seen in real life. A little bit Stonehenge, a little bit second year architecture student model, it was designed by Fritz Gerhard Mayr in the 1970s.

Palmenhaus

Nicola and I went to this adorable little cafe in a palm house and had the most delicious tea and cake!

Hundertwasser House

Another random architectural pilgrimage I went on was to the Hundertwasser House. There were tourists everywhere taking selfies but it was a really interesting building and I’m glad I got to see it in real life.

Vienna Opera House

I saw the outside of the Vienna Opera House with Nicola and it was so beautiful. I went to a classical music concert at the Musikverein, but I totally forgot to take a picture! I got a ticket in the standing section for only 5 euros! It was an incredible experience and I would advise anyone visiting Vienna to go. At first, it’s really crowded and uncomfortable but after intermission, a lot of the tourists leave and you can get a better view. Wear comfortable shoes though, it’s a long time to be standing!

Vienna University

Zaha Hadid Architects designed this library for Vienna University. The entire campus is very new with lots of modern architecture and it was fun to see a Zaha building, it was just as crazy as I would’ve expected with lots of angles and curves.

Leopold Museum

Museum Quarter in Vienna has a lot of wonderful museums. I visited the Leopold Museum and Architekturzentrum Wien (the Vienna Architecture Center) which had an exhibition about Denise Scott Brown.

Gasometer

This unique adaptive reuse project converted four former gas tanks from the 1890s into a mixed use residential and commercial center. The brick facades were beautiful and so unique.

Erste Campus

There are hidden architectural gems all over Vienna! Another one to visit if you’re nearby is the Erste Campus.

Belvedere Gardens

Beautiful sunset at the Belvedere Gardens. I loved my time in Vienna and thought it was such a beautiful and livable city.

If walls could dream… they’d dream of a city full of palaces and beautiful architecture! And pretzels!