Here we show the nocturnally illuminated façade of the rear of the Vienna State Opera on Philharmoniker Strasse. The building is framed on the left by Kärntner Straße and on the right by Operngasse with the OÖ Haus on the corner.
Building history of the Vienna State Opera
Today, the Vienna State Opera is one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. It has become a symbol of imperial architecture and Austria’s cultural identity. After Vienna’s city fortifications were removed, the opera house was chosen as the first monumental project to be financed by the Vienna City Expansion Fund, marking the start of the architecturally ambitious Ringstrasse (ring street) era. August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll won an internationally acclaimed architectural competition in 1860. They modelled the new opera house on the neo-Renaissance style. The Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza in northern Italy served as a model. Construction, designed by Josef Hlávka, began in 1861 and was opened in 1869 after eight years of construction.
At the end of the Second World War, the building suffered severe damage during an air raid in March 1945. While the front section facing the Ringstrasse remained more or less intact, the rear wings – including the stage and technical infrastructure – were almost completely destroyed. In the post-war period, the decision to rebuild the theatre prevailed despite controversial discussions. A competition was organised, from which Erich Boltenstern emerged as the winner. He chose a mediating path between historical reconstruction and modern interpretation. While key structural features were retained, the interior was partially redesigned in the style of the 1950s, incorporating contemporary design elements.
Building design and architecture of the Vienna State Opera
The rear part of the Vienna State Opera on Philharmoniker Strasse is less well known than the magnificent Ringstrasse façade, but has special architectural qualities. It marks the functional centre of the opera building, as the stage, workshops and rehearsal stages are located here. The building is characterised by a two-part floor plan. The narrower front section facing Ringstrasse contains the auditorium and the prestigious rooms for the audience, while the wider, deeper rear section houses the technical and scenic facilities. Our view of the rear façade clearly shows its Renaissance arch style character.
The variety of roof shapes, which reflect the complex spatial programme on the outside, is also characteristic: Above the central building core with stage and auditorium rises a mighty roof, vaulted on all sides, which remains clearly visible from all sides. The neighbouring transverse wings are finished with hipped roofs, the connecting wings in between with simpler pitched roofs. The corner towers, characteristic of the rear section of the opera house shown here, have elegant French mansard roofs. Despite its functional character, the rear façade blends harmoniously into the overall appearance of the State Opera thanks to its balanced proportions and subtle historical echoes. The nocturnal view of this side, designed by the podpod Design team in 2006, impressively emphasises the architectural richness of the building, even away from the public representative front.
