Emperor Franz Joseph I officially opened the Ringstraße on May 1, 1865. The Austrian capital eagerly popped the corks last year to mark the 150th anniversary. The famous, approximately 5 kilometer thoroughfare with its many attractions, including the State Opera, City Hall, and Parliament, today surrounds the major part of Vienna’s city center. There in the heart of the first district—that is, in the center of the center of the attractive metropolis on the Danube—is the Goldenes Quartier.
SIGNA expended great effort to faithfully restore two historic former bank branches on a pedestrian street between Tuchlauben, Seitzergasse, Bognergasse, and Am Hof. The result is an exquisite urban neighborhood with homes, offices, and, above all, a retail hotspot with over 20 luxury stores: From Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, and Pomellato, to Saint Laurent Paris, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Brioni, Brunello Cucinelli or Kiton. In addition, the Park Hyatt Vienna became the first five-star hotel located in Vienna’s very heart of hearts just two years ago. The bottom line is that the Goldenes Quartier is the most spectacular urban development in Vienna in recent years.
International Interior Design
It is not surprising that all the stores are rented despite all the difficulties luxury shops generally have to battle with. One reason for this is doubtless that haute couture meets spectacular, custom interior design in the Goldenes Quartier. The American star architect Peter Marino designed the Louis Vuitton store, for example. Valentino’s is using a concept by the renowned David Chipperfield. Another highlight is the Etro’s store on Tuchlauben, however. The Italian founding family’s passion for art is reflected throughout its 700-square-meters and three levels. The premises are equipped with various high-quality materials and constitute a representation space for Etro’s typical pattern fashion.
The exterior design was recently also fine-tuned to increase the quality of stay. Numerous trees and plants were planted in special trays and some additional benches were added across a total length of over 200 meters. The main focus of the new green space concept was on creating a light, airy, and natural urban space. The individual elements are adapted depending on the season. Visitors to the Goldenes Quartier should feel good, relax, and enjoy.
More and more Asian guests
Speaking of visitors: as far as age, they start at 20—surprisingly young. Around half hail from Vienna or Austria. The other half consists of international guests. It is striking that more and more tourists from Asia are shopping in the Goldenes Quartier. After all, Vienna is a top holiday destination thanks to its arts and cultural institutions. The city has also blossomed beyond this in recent years to become a coveted lifestyle and fashion metropolis. World events unfortunately mean we also must take into account that the Austrian capital is considered a safe haven.
Both tourists and local guests are invited to “Vogue Fashion’s Night Out” on September 7. The fashion event launched by the famous Vogue magazine was held last year for the first time in the city center; this year will be its second edition. The stores will be open until midnight and their customers can expect featured, limited collections and exclusive offers. And, of course, no “Fashion’s Night Out” would be complete without a catwalk. Models will present designs on it from both national and Austrian labels. A retrospective of the event will be available afterwards as an e-zine at www.goldenesquartier.com. After all, even online, the Goldenes Quartier posts daily reports and spotlights trends from the fashion and lifestyle world to make the shopping experience perfect.
