Zaha Hadid House – Vienna’s Ghost Building
Zaha Hadid became one of the world’s most famous architects. But it took her years to get a project built, let alone to receive recognition. Her first completed project came in 1993. Then, just two years later, in 1995, she was commissioned to design a building in Vienna. That building, located near Spittelau, has no official name. It has come to be known as the Zaha Hadid House. You’ve probably seen it before – an angular structure raised on cylindrical stilts, hovering over the Otto Wagner-designed Stadtbahn arches. But most likely, you’ve never paid much attention to it.
The idea behind the Zaha Hadid House was to enliven the Donaukanal area, sitting across from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, with the hope that a hip new scene would develop around it. But apart from the nearby Grelle Forelle, it’s safe to say that things didn’t quite go to plan.
From Grand Vision to Ghost House
Construction didn’t even begin until 2004, nearly a decade after the initial commission. By then the cost had soared to almost €10 million. The plan was for the building to house 30 apartments, with restaurants, shops, bars, and offices filling the underlying brick arches or nearby spaces. But soon after opening, residents began to move out and the gastronomic and commercial scene never materialized.
Despite its waterfront location and proximity to the university, the building’s placement wasn’t exactly ideal. It sits directly by a major highway entrance and just downriver from the Spittelau garbage incinerator. And despite Hundertwasser’s colorful redesign, it’s not considered as Vienna’s most attractive real estate.
Zaha Hadid Distances Herself from the Project
When the apartments failed to take off, the Zaha Hadid House was converted into student housing. By 2008, all the units were rented out, but Hadid herself was unhappy with the changes. Therefore, she distanced herself from the project. Since then, things have gone downhill again—the building is now mostly empty, leading ORF to call it a “ghost house.”
So while Zaha Hadid’s legacy includes some of the most iconic buildings in the world, her first and only Vienna project remains an odd and overlooked experiment. A building that was supposed to spark new life but instead became one of the city’s stranger architectural stories.
Interested in similar stories about Vienna? book one of our private tours to discover the city from different perspectives. Very soon we will have a guided tour all about Vienna’s architecture. Stay tuned and follow our tour schedule.
