Loisium Hotel in Langenlois

Anyone who expects a typical design hotel will be surprised by the Loisium. The complex is set on the edge of a village more than an hour’s drive west of Vienna and known only to wine connoisseurs. The hotel itself has been in operation since the autumn of 2005. The architecture and furniture – both designed by Steven Holl – radiate a sense of timelessness, although the building is by no means neutral. A lively interplay is created by the contrast between the polished details and the deliberately rough surfaces, although the white-painted exposed concrete walls are a controversial issue for guests. Visitors perceive the full poetry of the development only when they stroll through the vineyards. They discover cleverly staged views that unite the perforated hotel facade and the angular visitors’ centre with the rounded onion dome of the church to create an artistic synthesis. Franz Sam, who implemented the project jointly with Irene Ott-Reinisch, is still full of enthusiasm for it: “It’s at its loveliest here in November when things are quiet and one can swim in the heated pool between the vines, with a glass of Veltliner at the side.”