Renovation

Inner-City Rooftop Extension

A rooftop extension above the roofs of Vienna's old town with a view of St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Above a Gründerzeit apartment building, a two-storey extension with two maisonette apartments was created. The design defers to the historic roof profile and works with set-back terraces that open the view across the old town toward St. Stephen's Cathedral. Existing chimney heads and the eaves line were respected so as not to disturb the streetscape.

A slender steel structure keeps the new loads light and was carefully threaded above the occupied building below. Inside, white plaster surfaces, oak parquet and bespoke joinery shape the calm atmosphere. New insulation, triple-glazed roof windows and a decentralised ventilation system raise the existing fabric to a contemporary energy standard.