Photo © Helmut Pierer

PPAG Architects

Vienna

Steirereck restaurant, located in Vienna's lush Stadtpark, is celebrated for its modern Austrian cuisine (think wiener schnitzel with a gluten disclaimer), but the main course is a new addition by local firm PPAG Architects. Rather than conceive of the restaurant as a simple container for tables and chairs, the architects wanted to connect diners with the surrounding landscape. “We decided to follow the tradition of park pavilions, which always have been ephemeral and lightweight,” says project architect Anna Popelka. The result is a row of faceted protrusions that branch out from the primary rectilinear structure, with tables placed along the irregular perimeter. Frameless motorized sash windows slide up more than eight feet, opening the dining room to the outdoors in fine weather, while reflective exterior aluminum panels shroud the restaurant like a veil of mist.