Vienna - Stephanplatz

sThis is an open plaza (platz) with a lot happening.  I'll explain as we look around at the people and the buildings.  The descriptions of the building architecture comes from Rick Steves' awesome walking tour.

 This is the link to the paperback version. I used the Kindle version on my iPhone..

Kaarntner Strasse pours into the main square.
Notice the pink BIPA sign on the right. You know
what is in that store! We've been through the aisles.
Click to read the blog post on BIPA.
Notice the shiny building in the middle of the picture.

"This is the modern Haas Haus.
This is a post modern building by Austrian architect
Hans Hollein, finished in 1990. Curved facade echos
Roman fortress of Vindobona (found near here).
There was much protest about this building
but it's been accepted. Notice how the church
pointy architecture is reflected in the smooth glass." Steves
Click here for wikipedia information on Haas Haus

It didn't take long to learn that "Konditorei" meant pastries!
This is a chain store in Vienna.
Click here to read more about AIDA.

This is the street called "Graben".  We'll go down here later.

The "Stephanplatz" Church: St. Stephan's Cathedral.
The interior is in a separate blog post. Look closely at these photos
and you can see that there is scaffolding with images of
the building covering all of the construction and renovation
work going on.  This allows the restoration to occur without
taking away from the beauty of the building and surroundings.

Click on the photo to see the detail.

Artists at work in the plaza.

Street view towards another cathedral with the green roof.
We will go there later.

International Building/Bank of Austria

Detail of the upper floors of the International Building.
Decorative Art Nouveau elements.

"Equitable Building,
filled with lawyers, bankers and insurance brokers,
is a fine example of Neoclassicism from the turn of
the 20th century." Steves

"Look up and imagine how slick Vienna must
have felt in 1900." Steves

Detail of the cobblestones in Stephansplatz.

"Notice how the smooth, rounded glass
reflects St. Stephan's pointy architecture.
The cafe and pricey restaurant inside
offer a nice perch, complete with a view
of Stephansplatz below." Steves

Now, let's enter the St. Stephan's Cathedral in the next post.