Intermissions in Heaven

In order to meet today's safety requirements and technical standards, the auditorium and stage house of the Theater an der Wien, built in 1801 according to plans by Joseph Reymund and Anton Jäger, had to be extensively renovated. The opera house has been functionally reorganised with targeted architectural interventions.

The aim of the renovation was to expand the space and modernise the small-scale building, which has already been altered several times. The historic ground floor area was opened up laterally and upwards. A newly created foyer on the first level — Himmel (Heaven), in analogy to the renovated cabaret stage Hölle (hell) in the basement and a terrace facing the Naschmarkt now form an attractive space for intervals and central meeting point for visitors from all levels. Barriers have been removed and a new lift system has been installed. Its visibility as a public building has been enhanced in consultation with the Federal Monuments Office.

With: Daniel Bammer, Riepl Kaufmann Bammer Architektur; Manuela Legen-Preissl, Federal Monuments Office; representatives for the client, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien

Moderator: Suzanne Kříženecký, Az W