Weitsicht Cobenzl

Competition 1st prize, in cooperation with Realarchitektur

Location: Cobenzl, Austria
Principal use: event location
Total floor area: 4200m2 indoor, 8600m2 outdoor
Year: 2018-2022
Status: completed

Design team Mostlikely Architecture: Mark Neuner, Bernhard Stubenböck, Maik Perfahl, Wolfgang List, Nikolaus Kastinger, Christian Höhl

Design team Realarchitektur: Petra Petersson, Christopher Leitner, Bea Perez, Hennig Watkinson

Fotos&Grafics: Mostlikely Architecture and Mato Johannik

Many Viennese people associate the Cobenzl with fond memories. They have met here, danced, celebrated. Many have fallen in love and some have even married. In recent years, however, the once glamorous place has become quieter and quieter, until it has been almost completely forgotten.

When the international architectural competition was published in 2018, it quickly became clear that there was great potential for combining history with contemporary architecture. From then on, the Viennese office Mostlikely Architecture by Viennese architect Mark Neuner cooperated with the Berlin office Realarchitektur by Swedish architect, professor and dean of architecture at Graz University of Technology, Petra Peterson.

Aerial overview of Cobenzl- ©Mato Johannik

The competition invitation gave the architects the opportunity to design exciting spaces, buildings and atmospheres. In the intensive examination of the history of the site, many spaces were brought back to life: the legendary Cobenzl Bar, the elongated terrace of the café with the characteristic lamps that give the impression of a Riviera or the impressive domed hall for festive occasions.

Café Rondell - a new public place with a beautiful view over Vienna - ©Mato Johannik

As already envisaged in the competition entry, the characteristic floor plan of the café was taken up and the new building integrated into the overall composition. A special highlight is the newly created public viewing terrace on the roof of the café: from here, the view opens up to the whole of Vienna and the surrounding mountains and forests.

The public rooftop - ©Mato Johannik

The characteristic curved wall was refurbed - ©Mato Johannik

Terrace of the Cafe Rondell - ©Mato Johannik

The interior was developed in cooperation with Kroenland Design - ©Mato Johannik

Exploded view of the whole ensemble

Kuppelsaal and Panorama - Old and New - ©Mato Johannik

Domed hall in the old building
The historic domed hall was awakened from its Sleeping Beauty with a great deal of technical know-how. This includes uncovering the ceiling dome, lowering the front terrace so that the original proportions were restored.

interior of the Kuppelsaal in cooperation with Kroenland Design - ©Mato Johannik

The new Panorama building offering three event spaces on three levels - ©Mato Johannik

The new Panorama Tract
The atmosphere of the new Panorama Trakt is defined by the spacious terraces and the elegant, light construction. On the Panorama Trakt, a special gem has been created that dates back to the iconic past of the Cobenzl Bar. A rooftop bar for joie de vivre and a good dose of glamour. Whether for guests of the Panorama Hall or on other evenings also open for good company, our goal: the next Romy Schneider also wants to dance with her Alain Delon!

Rooftop Bar - ©Mato Johannik

©Mato Johannik

Concept of the public park

Public park landscape
The existing structures and new buildings are embedded in an open park with a year-round planting scheme of perennials and grasses. Nature is also celebrated at Cobenzl with the diverse plants and the many newly planted trees. Between the buildings is a circular plaza from which the respective terraces can be reached. To ensure that the area can also be experienced by the public around the clock, a path leads from the entrance to the publicly accessible terrace with a view over Vienna.

floor plan

section