★★★★★ 5.0
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Gasometers of Vienna
Light is dancing across these brick walls in ways they never knew before—these four cylinders rising above you stored coal-gas that powered Vienna for nearly a century. Built from 1896 to 1899, each held 90,000 cubic meters of gas, making this site continental Europe's largest gas works, feeding street lamps first, then the ovens and heaters of millions of Viennese homes. In 1984, when natural gas arrived, the city faced a choice: demolish or resurrect. Four legendary architects—Jean Nouvel, Coop Himmelblau, Manfred Wehdorn, Wilhelm Holzbauer—chose resurrection. They gutted the iron interiors, kept the brick shells, and between 1999 and 2001, refilled each cylinder with spiraling apartments, concert halls, and shops connected by daring skybridges. Vienna's famous Ferris Wheel could fit inside any single one of them. Here on Guglgasse in Simmering's 11th district, industrial history became residential future. The original water basins that cradled those massive gas holders now hide beneath the shopping mall levels connecting all four structures. What you're standing in isn't restoration—it's resurrection written in brick and ambition.
Did You Know?
- :fact: The Vienna Gasometers were originally built between 1896 and 1899 to supply gas for the city’s street lamps, and each could store up to 90,000 cubic meters of gas—making them the largest gasometers in Europe at the time.
- :fact: After being retired in 1984, the four gasometers were transformed into 'Gasometer City' by renowned architects Jean Nouvel, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Manfred Wehdorn, and Wilhelm Holzbauer, who creatively preserved the historic brick exteriors while adding modern interiors, skybridges, and unique features like indoor gardens and music halls.
- :fact: One of the gasometers now houses Austria’s largest specialized music shop, a pop academy, and a jazz conservatory, turning the site into a vibrant cultural hub where residents and visitors regularly attend concerts, art exhibitions, and creative workshops.