Terrace Ko, 1080 Vienna

Rooftop garden with Lavandula angustifolia in bloom; Vitis vinifera vines on a wooden pergola, purple lavender bed, ornamental grasses.

Wildness in the Sky

Clay pot with gnarled trunk, surrounded by Iberis sempervirens groundcover and Rosmarinus officinalis in a sunny garden.
Lavandula angustifolia in full bloom along a garden border with Rosmarinus officinalis shrubs and green foliage.

Originally constructed in 1906, the building underwent a comprehensive attic conversion in 2002, gaining a new architectural dimension through GERNER GERNER PLUS. The existing attic was completely removed and replaced with a contemporary new structure.

Lavandula angustifolia border along a rooftop garden under a wooden pergola; potted shrubs and grasses, distant city spires.
Urban rooftops with a tall church spire; lush green foliage frames the scene, and a red rose (Rosa spp.) appears in the foreground.

FACTSHEET:

Architecture: GERNER GERNER PLUS
Terrace area: 75 m²
Features: Stepping stones set into sedum planting, uniqueTrees® in ceramic planters, IPE decking, patchwork pergola, raised beds
Planting:
Fountain grass, feather grass, gaura, hydrangeas, rosemary, sedum, uniqueTrees® specimen trees (Japanese maples, grapevines)
Planters: Texel

Lavandula angustifolia lavender border in front of a wooden deck; a large round brown planter with pinkish, low-growing foliage.
Lavandula angustifolia in bloom with Rosmarinus officinalis and ornamental grasses, beside a pot of white-flowered plant.
Dense mat of white star-shaped flowers on a low groundcover with slender grassy leaves.
Sedum album groundcover surrounding a tree trunk; dense green succulents with white star-shaped flowers.
Gnarled tree trunk in a Sedum spurium groundcover bed; Gaura lindheimeri blooms behind in a sunny garden.
Vitis vinifera grapevine climbing a wooden trellis in a rooftop garden with Lavandula angustifolia border.

Today, generous glass façade elements and high ceilings define the interior spaces. The transparency of the glass surfaces is complemented by delicate steel constructions, emphasizing the open character of the architecture. Within the expansive, open-plan interiors, different functional areas are subtly zoned through the use of varying floor finishes.

The terrace landscape extends across two levels. The lower living terrace is sheltered between the living and sleeping wings, creating a private outdoor retreat. An external staircase leads to the upper terrace, which opens above the rooftops of Vienna. From here, sweeping views extend across the roofs of the 8th district.

Beneath the IPE patchwork pergola, the terrace invites relaxed moments of leisure. An intensively designed planting area frames the outdoor space, providing a diverse habitat for both the human eye and insects alike.

Gardening is also given its place here: vegetables and herbs thrive in the IPE raised beds, transforming the terrace into a lively, usable garden above the city.

Lavandula angustifolia in bloom with Gaura lindheimeri amid Pennisetum alopecuroides in a sunny garden border
Concrete stepping-stone path bordered by creeping thyme Thymus serpyllum groundcover with white flowers beside a wooden deck.
Rosmarinus officinalis shrubs in a herb garden with Lavandula angustifolia, Pennisetum setaceum, and Achillea millefolium groundcover.
Round pot with white-flowering shrub; trunk grows through. Surrounding: Lavandula angustifolia and Rosmarinus officinalis.
Rooftop garden with Lavandula angustifolia lavender, ornamental grasses, and a wooden pergola against a cityscape.
Rooftop garden with Lavandula angustifolia in bloom, Acer palmatum leaves, ornamental grasses, beige wall, distant church spire.
Lavandula angustifolia in bloom in a rooftop garden with Acer palmatum and a wooden pergola under a blue sky.