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Folded Topography in the UNESCO Zone

47.0719, 15.4367

On arrival

Enter the department store on Sackstraße or view its roofline from surrounding high viewpoints where a crystalline white panelled roof meets historic tiles.

Look closer

From the 'Freiblick' top-floor terrace café, look closely at the white precast panels and glass sections of the folded roof, observing how their pitches and angles mirror the slopes of the surrounding traditional red-tiled roofscape (Dachlandschaft). Inside the store, inspect the multi-story central atrium light well featuring patterned white glass galleries.

Demonstrates how contemporary geometry can integrate with UNESCO World Heritage constraints rather than resorting to historicist copy-pasting.

At Sackstraße 7–13, the Kastner & Öhler department store occupies an intricate complex of historic medieval and 19th-century townhouses. Over time, the ensemble expanded with landmark additions, including a central hall by Fellner & Helmer in 1914 and interventions by Szyszkowitz + Kowalski between 1991 and 2003. Between 2008 and 2010, Madrid-based Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos replaced fragmented roof additions with a continuous, folded-topography roof scape within the UNESCO-protected historic core. Take the elevator inside to the top-floor terrace café, 'Freiblick', to see how contemporary geometry negotiates strict urban heritage laws.

Accessibility at this stop

An elevator inside the store provides access to the top-floor terrace café 'Freiblick'. Internal door widths, clearance, and terrace threshold levels are not detailed.

These notes describe known conditions at this stop. Urban conditions can change, so assess the situation on site.

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5. Folded Topography in the UNESCO Zone

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