The Penthouse Has Landed
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Sweeping diagonals cut across the façade of House Ray 1 to provide privacy and a modicum of safety for a dramatic outdoor terrace.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The penthouse is boldly inserted within the traditional rooftops in Vienna's Wieden district.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The engineering of House Ray 1’s load-bearing structure was extremely complex. Since the house had to be built on top of an old building, the architects opted for lightweight steel skeleton construction. The living/dining area has sliding glass walls that open to the back terrace and pool.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The biggest challenge for the architects in building House Ray 1 was to create a home for themselves. They transformed the ideas of their architectural philosophy into the architectural reality of each detail, designing each element of or within the house on their own, ranging from door handles to the light switches to the furniture. Here we see the view from daughter Nora’s bedroom down the length of the penthouse interior.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The cavity for the bathtub is part of the same continuous form-world as House Ray 1’s sloping roofscape. The white tub is made from Corian; the faucet is by Dornbracht.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The “culinary cockpit” (a.k.a. the kitchen) stands at the center of the apartment on a raised platform. A long, white slanted counter contains hi-fi speakers and a BUS-system panel of 18 buttons for controlling lights, curtains, heating, ventilation, etc.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
Nora, the architects' six-year-old daughter, hangs out next to her built-in bed.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The stair and entry module bulges out over the back of the seven-story building.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The kitchen window looks out to stairs that lead up to a small roof terrace. The kitchen faucet is by Dornbracht. The recessed lighting is by Guzzini.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
Architect and homeowner Meissl considers the eight-story drop to the street.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
A narrow terrace—one of three—hangs precariously over the street.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The walls of the toilet room are decorated with an abstract composition of overlapping black lines printed on a screen that is lit from behind.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
Roman and Nora stand on the terrace, and look out over the reflecting pool and beyond.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
The long floating counter is a sculptural element that continues the line of duct-like exterior elements. The sloping floors are made from a rich-looking African cherry wood called Doussie. The metal disks beside the ramp are smoke and heat vents. The architects aimed to create an interior without any barriers or columns in order to have an uninterrupted spatial continuum. They appear to have succeeded in their efforts.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
Converging lines of sheer glass, sloping floors, and ceiling planes create the impression of multiple perspectives and vanishing points. There are no interior walls except for those around the bedrooms (as seen here, in the master).Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus -
Meissl and Delugan’s favorite part of the house is definitely the “relaxation zone,” which features a black leather platform of their own design that appears to float between layers of tempered glass. The pillows are by Herman Miller.Photo by: Hertha Hurnaus
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