Coffee House Architecture: Cafe Central, Vienna

Years ago my friend Teresa and I went to Vienna, Austria on a vacation. One of the places we went was to the Cafe Central. Founded in 1876, this cafe has been known as a literary meeting place, but more to the point it is one of the most elegant cafes you can visit.

Standing outside, you feel there is something worldly going on inside, and you want to be part of it. You read that this is where men like Sigmund Freud and Leo Trotski would gather, you want to rub elbows with them. You can as there is a life like statue of Freud at one of the tables.

Inside there is a golden glow to the room. The tables are marble, and the chairs have a crimson upholstery. All of this encourages the feel you are at the turn of the last century. I loved the look of this cafe. It was the first time I began to take notice of what cafes and coffee houses look like,

and what kind of atmosphere they want to promote. For Cafe Central, the feel is elegance. You feel it from outside, inside, and all through your experience.

The cafe was the original location of the Vienna Stock Exchange. The Austrian-Hungarian National Bank was headquartered in the building as well.

The building was designed by Heinrich Von Ferstal. Von Ferstal used a combination of Venetian and Florentine influences. Having been to both Venice and Florence, I can see both in this amazing cafe.

This is a must see if you are ever in Vienna.  If memory serves I ate a wonderful goulash and had some amazing Viennese coffee.

Charlie