Text description provided by Architects. Architecture is the art of taming constraints; of poetizing contradictions; of looking differently at common and trivial things in order to reveal their singularity. Architecture is an opportunity, in a city marked by history, to continue games begun by others years or centuries ago. Architecture is about making apparitions.
Situated in the heart of the Austrian capital, Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom is an “archisculpture” designed by one of France’s top architects, Jean Nouvel. Its masterly crafted kaleidoscopic BARRISOL ceiling invite guests and passers-by alike to dream.
Colourful works of art printed on BARRISOL, a childish fascination of Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, drawing inspiration from local cultural elements and landscapes, leaves an everlasting sensation.
The top floor of the building houses the restaurant, comprising glazed walls on all sides and a brightly patterned BARRISOL ceiling that can be clearly seen from the street outside. The building offers a festival of light and reflections creating continuity between the interior and the exterior.The slanting, floating roof seems to merge into a glass façade allowing light to stream into the spacious lobby and illuminating the 5 upper levels.
With printed Barrisol, remarkable printsand pictures can be made-to-order. These sensational backlit printed ceilings become the vectors of an atmosphere, a desire or a communication, transforming spaces for an unforgettable experience.
Clients- UNIQA
Types of assignment- Competition, Full mission, Interior design, Furniture
Program- 182-room hotel including 25 suites and one presidential suite, shopping center, conference halls, spa and wellness center, panoramic restaurant, car park
Habitable area / Surface area- 46,000 m² / 53,000 m²
Address- Praterstraße 1, 1020 Wien, Autriche
Team
Jean NOUVEL – Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Photographs – Julien Lanoo
PROJECT LEADERS: Ingrid MENON and Marie-Hélène BALDRAN
FAÇADES: Matthias RAASCH and Christoph BIENERT
ARTISTIC CONCEPTION (ILLUMINATED CEILINGS): Pipilotti Rist with Thomas Rhyner, Davide Legittimo, Judith Lava, Rachele Giudici, Chloé Pompon, Nici Jost, Pierre Mennel, Ewelina Guzik, Jean-Louis Gafner, Balz Roth, Carlos Martinez, Diego Rosafio