Located in a former pedestrian underpass at the Staatsoper, Albertina Passage is Vienna’s first dinner club, a new attraction which consists of a combination of high-class cuisine, American bar culture, live jazz, lounge and lifestyle. This Viennese dinner club is just stunning. It looks so amazing in the pictures and we bet it is more seductive in reality. Söhne & Partner Architects are those who designed such a great design concept which was opened on 13 December 2011, after nearly seven months of construction. A visit to the Albertina Passage is considered an arcade adventure travel equal, in every corner a new detail waiting to be discovered. People enter the dinner club just in front of the Vienna State Opera and are guided through stairs and kind of an s-shaped “tunnel” into the main area passing the reception and the cloakroom.
With an international and casual elegance, the 1,500-square-foot modern dinner club seats 300 guests. As you probably realized from the title, the idea behind this project was to to design a club that is suitable for an elegant dinner as well as for a big party night. That’s why it includes three functions in one place: live music, a restaurant and a lounge. The defining element of their design is a very futuristic white sculpture which combines the stage for live music, the DJ Pult, two bars as well as a lounge area in the back. The material used to create the sculpture is Corian, one of the most multifunctional materials which has the big advantage of making one whole surface. In contrast, for the 3-D shaped wallsl it was chosen a warm material which plays with the lights and shadows. The bar and stage area is decorated in white. The stage is located in the center of the room, around it there are seat boxes. The walls can be illuminated in different colors using modern technology. For smokers there is a separated bar area. The guest is invited to discover it, because every club needs its secrets. There is also a “Member’s Room,” which is only available to members.
Photos: © Severin Wurnig.