PPAG Architects Replaces 1950s Viennese Eatery With Timber Pavilion

PPAG architects have completed Café Restaurant Resselpark on Vienna's Karlsplatz, replacing a dilapidated 1950s structure with a transparent timber pavilion. The project, initiated by the Trattner family who hold the tenancy, took a decade to navigate urban approvals. The design preserves existing trees, resulting in a footprint that mirrors the original volume but feels more approachable. The building appears as a cluster of small interconnected houses, eliminating a traditional 'back side.' Inside, silver fir CLT cladding creates warm niches organized around central tables and continuous benches, with slanted roofs emphasizing individuality. Sliding windows offer park views. The ground was unsealed and unified, integrating the listed Tilgner fountain and reactivating passageways to blend private and public space. Outdoor seating merges with the environment. At night, integrated lighting makes the pavilion glow like a bedside lamp. The facade uses gray panels with expansive sunshades for climate adaptation.