Haas House

Haas House is a landmark building at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz in central Vienna, Austria. Designed by Austrian architect Hans Hollein, it was completed in 1990 in a postmodern style and occupies a prominent site opposite or adjacent to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, known in German as Stephansdom. Its reflective and curved façade, irregular geometry, and contemporary materials create a deliberate visual contrast with Vienna’s historic cathedral and surrounding medieval urban fabric. That contrast made the building one of the city’s most discussed examples of late twentieth-century architecture. The site has a commercial history that predates the current structure. It was associated with Philipp Haas & Söhne, a prominent Viennese department-store business whose flagship premises dated to 1867. The earlier building was destroyed during the Second World War and was reconstructed in 1953. The later decision to replace or substantially transform the postwar premises with Hollein’s contemporary design connected the site’s commercial identity with a major architectural intervention in Vienna’s historic center. Completed in 1990, Haas House was conceived as a mixed-use commercial building rather than as a conventional standalone retail brand. Its functions have included retail space and restaurant or hospitality uses, with the building’s location making it a destination for visitors as well as a serving commercial property for tenants. Its architectural identity is inseparable from its setting: the building’s visibility, unusual form, and proximity to Stephansdom have generated both architectural interest and public controversy. In December 2014, Uniqa Insurance Group sold Haas House to the Austrian catering company Do & Co. Do & Co subsequently used the building as its headquarters, while the property continued to accommodate commercial and hospitality activity. The building therefore combines three identities: a historic retail site, a postmodern architectural landmark, and an operating commercial property in Vienna’s city center. It is not an international consumer-goods brand, and available reference material does not establish a separate product portfolio, corporate brand architecture, or broad international market presence.

Haas House stands on a historically significant commercial site at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz in the center of Vienna. The location was connected with Philipp Haas & Söhne, whose flagship department store dated from 1867. That earlier commercial building formed part of Vienna’s retail history before being destroyed during the Second World War. The premises were rebuilt in 1953, reflecting the postwar reconstruction of the city and the continuation of commercial activity at the site. The later redevelopment was entrusted to Hans Hollein, one of Austria’s most influential architects and a major figure in postmodern architecture. Hollein designed a building that departed sharply from the historicist architectural language surrounding Vienna’s cathedral and old city center. The completed structure, finished in 1990, used a visually assertive contemporary vocabulary, including curved and reflective surfaces and an irregular massing that responds to the constrained urban site. Rather than attempting to imitate its historic surroundings, the building established a deliberate dialogue through contrast. That design decision made Haas House a subject of public debate. Its proximity to Stephansdom meant that the new building was highly visible from important public spaces and viewpoints. Supporters regarded it as a significant example of contemporary architecture inserted into a historic city, while critics objected to the perceived incompatibility between its modern form and the cathedral’s Gothic character. The controversy became part of the building’s cultural identity and helped make it recognizable beyond its immediate commercial function. The building was organized for mixed use, with retail and restaurant or hospitality activities forming important parts of its operation. Its central location supports both everyday commercial use and visitor-oriented activity. Unlike a conventional branded retail chain, Haas House functions primarily as a named architectural property whose identity derives from its location, design, tenants, and history. A major ownership change occurred in December 2014, when Uniqa Insurance Group sold the building to Do & Co, an Austrian catering company. Do & Co thereafter used Haas House as its headquarters. The sale connected the landmark with a company whose business is centered on catering and hospitality, while the property continued to serve a broader mixed-use role. Haas House consequently remains best understood as a Vienna building and commercial landmark rather than as a standalone product brand.

• 2014

  Do & Co acquires Haas House

  [1]Haas Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Uniqa Insurance Group sold Haas House to Do & Co in December 2014. Do & Co subsequently used the building as its headquarters.

• 1990

  Haas House completed

  [1]Haas Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Hans Hollein’s postmodern Haas House was completed at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz, introducing a strongly contemporary building beside Vienna’s historic cathedral.

• 1953

  Postwar rebuilding of the commercial premises

  [1]Haas Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The site’s commercial building was rebuilt in the postwar period, providing the immediate predecessor to the later Haas House development.

• 1945

  Earlier department-store building destroyed during World War II

  [1]Haas Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The earlier Haas department-store building was destroyed during the Second World War.

• 1867

  Philipp Haas & Söhne flagship store established on the site

  [1]Haas Houseen.wikipedia.org

  A flagship department-store building associated with Philipp Haas & Söhne was established at the site in Vienna, giving the location a long-standing commercial identity.

A prominent postmodern commercial and hospitality landmark in Vienna’s historic center, positioned through architecture, central location, and mixed-use activity rather than through a conventional consumer product offering.

• Architectural landmark and commercial property · 1990

  Haas House building

  The principal offering associated with Haas House is the building itself: a postmodern commercial structure designed by Hans Hollein and completed in 1990. Its architectural presence, central Vienna location, and contrast with Stephansdom are central to its identity. The property supports multiple uses rather than a standardized product range.

• Retail and restaurant facilities · 1990

  Retail and hospitality spaces

  Haas House has been used for retail and restaurant or hospitality activities. These uses take advantage of the building’s position in Vienna’s historic center and its visibility to residents and visitors. Specific tenants, menus, and current commercial units are not established by the supplied reference material.

• Corporate office space · 2014

  Do & Co headquarters

  Following Do & Co’s acquisition of the property in 2014, Haas House became associated with the company’s headquarters operations. This office use complements the building’s continuing commercial and hospitality functions.

• 2014

  Transfer of ownership from Uniqa to Do & CoM&A

  Background

  Haas House was owned by Uniqa Insurance Group before the 2014 transaction.

  Action taken

  Uniqa sold the building to Austrian catering company Do & Co in December 2014.

  Aftermath

  Do & Co used Haas House as its headquarters, while the property continued to have retail and hospitality uses.

  Source

• 1990

  Adopt a strongly contemporary design for a historic-center siteStrategy

  Background

  The redevelopment of a commercially important site beside Stephansdom required a decision about whether to reproduce the historic architectural context or introduce a clearly modern intervention.

  Action taken

  Architect Hans Hollein designed Haas House in a postmodern style with a distinctive contemporary façade and form, emphasizing contrast with the neighboring cathedral.

  Aftermath

  The design generated controversy but also established Haas House as a recognizable example of late twentieth-century architecture in Vienna.

  Source

1. 1Haas Houseen.wikipedia.org