The Other Itinerant Architect

Vienna...9th July

My final day in Vienna.. the week has gone so fast..
My geographical target today was the Sigmund Freud museum in the Rossau district.. and to have tea at a typical Viennese cafe..

I took a different route through the centre...I generally like to wander, I know the direction I'm walking, but not be too fixed on the route.

My first stop. The Jesuit Church.. according to my reading of the Latin number, built in 1627... the interiors completed in the early 18C.

The contrast between the the facade and the baroque interior is a little disconcerting. The pews are the most opulent I have seen.. I actually felt a little uncomfortable with the outward expression of wealth relative to the values of Christian community for all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesuit_Church,_Vienna

Moving on.. a typical example of post war buildings...

The building below is 33 Wipplingerstrabe..... This is the front entrance and what a visual mess it is....
I'm not sure if the visual cross joint was part of the original design or became a late necessity:the diagonal connections with the column casings clash and the central cross connection should have been better detailed..

Moving on again.. close by was this building.. The Universitat Wiren Juridicum

https://geschichte.univie.ac.at/en/articles/juridicum

Designed in the late '60's early 70's.. this is an example of architectural principle over practice... The building is suspended from a roof structure supported by 4 massive concrete structures.. two at each end. The aim was to free up internal space by reducing internal structure.. but it has become a victim of its time. Seemingly not being able to change.. It could have starred in the recent Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy film for its untouched early 70's interiors.... but I did appreciate its architectural detailing: well considered, materials fit and the envelope looks bespoke...
I ventured in, intrigued by what I saw through the windows.. but also needed to find a loo....

The ground floor is dominated by this access ramp.. other than a kiosk and a few chairs nothing else happens on this floor..

I walked down to the lower floor; an auditorium surrounded by breakout space with perimeter lecture rooms.. unfortunately all locked....

Accepting that the university year has probably finished but I couldn't help thinking that even when it was busy it would still feel like a building frozen (in aspic) in time.. . a reverence to the original design. There could be a wonderful project in the making revitalise and transform it into a wonderful and meaningful 21st educational facility..The rubber flooring is undoubtedly original,it gives that wonderful 70's beige look.. but finishes on their own don't make a building...
I found the loo.. these had been refurbished recently..

Walking over the Ringstrasse (Schottenring), there is a perceptive change in the urban environment, not just down to fewer tourists. It feels calmer, less late imperial buildings. a combined working and residential area with a good mix of shops, offices and cafes.....

Finding the Freud Museum in Berggasse, it is being on the move.. it's currently in temporary space and soon to move again to the next street...The project is called 'Moving Freud'...2020. Another project to be completed in 2020.....

Looking up the Berggasse from the museum, the street rises up.. I hadn't been aware that there was a change in street levels in Vienna over the past week while walking through the city..

The Freud Museum was the furthest point to travel, so started back to find tea...

The Votivkirche..built to thanks the Emperor's assassination attempt, completed in 1879 and now undergoing internal and external rennovation

The Rathaus, The Vienna City Hall, hosting the Vienna Film festival 2019 located in the Rathausplatz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_City_Hall

I was a little confused.. (it doesn't take much).. flicking through the programme and thinking that a film festival shows cinematic films it is 60 odd days of music, dance and opera, on the big screen..

The Rathaus (City Hall)..with the central tower under renovation and the big screen in front.

Linking the Rathausplatz, to the Ringstrasse (Universitatsring) is the Rathauspark with small pop up restaurants and bars, selling lots of options. So if you can't watch the films in the seated area, you can hear the films while eating and drinking in the park..

This area of the Ringstrasse have major public buildings fronting the street, the Austrian Parliament, the National History Museum, University and the the Burgtheater..

Nearby was my target.. The classic Viennese cafe; Cafe Landtmann.. busy but at least I could find a table..

...I nibbled the end while waiting for tea...

I had considered aiming for Cafe Central.. another well known city cafe but wasn't prepared to queue for tea..

Finishing the tea I walked down the side of the cafe to look at this early 19C building..
The building is one of a small collection of buildings and a reminder of an earlier Vienna. One of these buildings is the Beethoven Museum

The Ringstrasse was laid out on the line of the former Medieval walls. These houses, when constructed, would have been tight up against the fortifications... now overshadowed by the late 19C buildings..