Terrace Fu, 1030 Vienna

Brown dachshund walks on a wooden rooftop deck beside a rooftop garden with brick chimneys and climbing vines.

Little Brooklyn

Rooftop garden with brick wall, wooden deck, and planters; Lavandula angustifolia, Gaura lindheimeri, and Salvia nemorosa in bloom.
Small terrier walks on a wooden deck in a rooftop garden with brick wall trellis; planters include Lavandula angustifolia and Pennisetum setaceum.

Built in the 19th century as a residential palace, this building tells its story from the outside. The richly structured façade with its balustrades gives a glimpse of the splendor hidden inside. Its structure is particularly appealing: opulent and rich in detail at the bottom, it becomes calmer floor by floor until the later addition of the attic, which has a deliberately minimalist and contemporary look – a silent dialogue between past and present.

Rooftop garden with wooden walkway, brick walls and trellis, potted rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), flowering perennials, and urban buildings beyond.
Calendula officinalis (pot marigold) blooming cluster with orange-red petals and yellow centers in a garden bed.

FACTSHEET:

Architecture: Wilhelm Fraenkel
Terrace area: 140 m²
Features: Fountain, stepping stones in the sedum area, lawn, uniqueTrees® in ceramic planters, IPE terraces, IPE trellises
Planting: Carnations, beard flowers, coneflowers, thyme, roses, chamomile, asters, uniqueTrees® solitary trees (Japanese maples), sedum
Plant pots: Graz, Texel, Hamburg, Dala (Domani), metal planters

Aerial view of a rooftop wooden deck with a rectangular pool; potted shrubs line the edge, overlooking a red multi-sport court and city buildings.
Rooftop terrace garden with brick chimneys, wooden decking, potted plants, and a rectangular pool overlooking city buildings.

The impressive staircase elegantly leads visitors to the upper floors. Once in the attic, an internal spiral staircase leads through the apartment with herringbone parquet flooring and further upwards – to a place that surprises.

Sunlit balcony garden with Lavandula angustifolia in bloom beside a brick wall lattice; Rosmarinus officinalis among herbs in white planters.
Dog standing on a wooden deck beside a brick chimney, climbing ivy (Hedera helix); rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and pink flowers in a planter.

What opens up here is much more than just a roof terrace. It is a garden above the rooftops, lushly planted, vibrant, and full of atmosphere. Raised beds made of IPE wood, gentle lawns, warm wooden terraces, and lush plant beds flow seamlessly into one another, creating a small landscape in the middle of the city.

Rooftop garden with wooden lattice trellis, brick planters, and a central wooden tub with a Juniperus sp. bonsai; flowering perennials along deck.
Ornamental Pennisetum setaceum fountain grass in a garden beside a wooden deck and brick wall, with pink flowering perennials along a stone path.
Rooftop garden with a green pergola, table under it, Hydrangea macrophylla shrubs, lawn, and wooden decking.
Brown dog walks across a wooden rooftop deck with potted plants, brick walls, and a rectangular shallow pool.
Two small dogs on a wooden rooftop terrace surrounded by brick walls, trellis, and potted plants; city row houses in the background.

The existing chimneys have been entwined with delicate trellises and climbing plants and carefully integrated into the green oasis. The planting follows a natural, almost meadow-like character – light, free and deliberately imperfect. Ceramic planters from Domani add special accents and bring additional depth to the overall picture with their colors, shapes and surfaces.

And last but not least, the success of the design is also evident in the animal visitors: they discovered the roof garden for themselves long ago.

Rooftop garden with wooden boardwalk, brick walls, potted plants; climbing vines along lattice under blue sky.
Urban rooftop garden with wooden deck, green lawn, flowering borders, and potted plants; city buildings in the background.
Terrace garden with concrete planters along a white railing, flowering perennials and grasses, wooden deck, and a brick lattice column.
Rooftop garden on brick terrace with wooden trellises and climbing plants in planters; distant church with a green and gold onion dome.
Two dogs on a wooden deck in a sunny backyard; brick lattice wall with white planters hosting ornamental Poaceae grasses and assorted shrubs.
Bird's-eye view of a rooftop garden with a wooden deck and white railing; dense greenery including a large Juniperus sp. shrub and assorted perennials.
Rooftop wooden deck with a white rectangular water feature; planter row holds Hydrangea macrophylla, Rosa sp., and Pennisetum setaceum; city skyline.
Balcony garden with large planters housing shrubs and ornamental grasses (Poaceae), beside a wooden gate and white metal railing.
Wooden rooftop terrace with a white two-tier rectangular pool; potted ornamental grasses and flowering plants along a white railing.
Rooftop garden on brick wall with wooden deck, rows of clay chimney pots, and assorted flowering plants in planters; city buildings in the background.
Rooftop wooden deck with a two-tier rectangular pool and cascading water; potted ornamental grasses and flowering plants; city skyline beyond.