Hotel Topazz | BWM Designers & Architects

One-of-a-kind, award-winning architecture: Its oval windows and dark glass mosaic façade make the centrally-located Hotel Topazz a unique eyecatcher
A 153m² corner plot near Hoher Markt square now boasts an eye-catching hotel designed by BWM Architekten and Michael Manzenreiter. Hotel Topazz inscribes itself in the city’s consciousness while at the same time enhancing the fabric of Vienna’s historical centre with its originality and high quality. Hotel Topazz opened its doors in April 2012.

Counterpoint in the historical cityscape
The building draws its height reference from the long row of buildings on Hoher Markt square, and its distinctive rounded top edge leads over into Kramergasse. This is an homage to the previous building, whose façade was also characterised by a bold, rounded projection.

Like its predecessor, this new project stands out against the cityscape. Its main feature is the distinctive façade with elliptical window openings and dark-brown mosaic cladding. The eye-like windows jut out slightly and also form curved recesses on the inside. Guests can lounge in them while watching the hustle and bustle of the city below. The staggered configuration of the elliptical windows playfully mirrors the varying floor heights of the adjacent buildings and provides a relaxed, weightless contrast to the uniformity of the hotel’s historical surroundings.

The generous, glass-enclosed ground floor draws the eye to the hotel’s reception area and to the salon below. This further enhances the building’s inviting, urban character.

Outside and inside as a dialogical unit
The distinctive façade forms a counterpoint to the continuum of Vienna’s historical centre with which it engages in a lively dialogue. An aspect that played an integral part in the creation of the interior concept was the space-saving utilisation of the elliptical windows as lounging nooks from which guests can observe the city’s street life. The interior spaces were designed and realised by Michael Manzenreiter. His concept is a modern interpretation of the world of the famous Wiener Werkstätte.

Sustainably planned
Hotel Topazz was planned with sustainability and resource conservation in mind in terms of the construction materials used, the building’s physical properties and its energy requirement. The groundwater heat pump principle is applied for heating and cooling, and the building’s own deep-well systems are used for energy recovery.