During the complete renovation of the former ‘Viennart’ hotel next to the Museumsquartier, the owners defined consistent sustainability as the main focus and USP of the redefined concept from the outset. This claim is already visible from the outside, as the Hotel Gilbert with its restaurant ‘& flora’ is one of the first hotels and one of the few buildings in Vienna to have an elaborate, ultra-modern green façade - a flagship project that was planned together with experts from Green4Cities, an international competence centre for urban greens and sustainable infrastructure in urban areas, and implemented with a local partner
The green shell ensures cooling, clean air and noise reduction
The green façade of the Gilbert has now been included in a research project at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), in which the actual effects of planted façades on the microclimate in the surrounding area are being scientifically measured and analysed for the first time. The investigations have already yielded a number of benefits for the hotel and its surroundings:
- In contrast to conventional façades, the approximately 350 square metres of greenery on the façade does not store heat but, on the contrary, cools the surroundings. Tropical nights are avoided.
- Harmful pollutants and dust are trapped by the dense foliage. Together with their evaporation capacity, green façades represent a natural ‘air purification system’ with very little space requirement, they also produce oxygen and bind carbon dioxide.
- Evergreen climbing plants have an insulating effect in winter and save heating costs. At the same time, wall greening ‘cools’ in summer by preventing the greened areas from overheating.
- The plant cover forms a ‘protective shield’ against driving rain and UV radiation, thereby increasing the service life of the façade.
- Green walls absorb sound waves. Green walls therefore contribute to noise protection.
- And last but not least, the green façade also provides habitats for animals in the city.
Green everywhere
At the Gilbert, it is not only the exterior façade that is green, but also the majority of the interior. All public areas in the hotel and restaurant, with their Scandinavian-inspired architecture of glass, exposed concrete and lots of light-coloured wood, are densely populated with plants. It goes without saying that every room is also adorned with a plant. The green flat roof above the inner courtyard - which is not open to the public - provides cooling in summer and insulation in winter. It is also used to grow herbs, figs and other edible plants, which are then used in the kitchen and as decoration on guests' cocktails. Since April 2023, the Gilbert has also taken on a bee sponsorship, with 5 ‘&flora’ bee colonies living in the 17th district of Vienna near a cosy wine tavern of the St. Peter's Abbey estate in Dornbach! City honey is said to be superior to country honey in terms of variety of flavour, as the diversity of plants in the city is even greater than in the countryside. Honey from the hotel's own bees is available at the &flora breakfast buffet and as a give-away in the shop while stocks last. In summer, the bees are of course also visited on site as part of a company outing.
Cuisine dominated by nature
Vegan and vegetarian cuisine is the focus of the award-winning restaurant ‘&flora’. The chef, Parvin Razavi, works almost exclusively with organic food and favours regionality and seasonality.
Partnerships with local producers, fair payment and short production and delivery routes are just as important here as species-appropriate husbandry and sustainable breeding when Austrian meat or fish from Vienna is served.
The award-winning chef relies on a wealth of flavours. And vegetables.
In the hotel's own restaurant, guests can enjoy a rich gourmet breakfast buffet with an opulent selection of various salads and regional delicacies. The gourmet cuisine served in the evening is vegan-vegetarian as a logical consequence of the overall concept with - to quote chef Parvin Razavi: ‘meat and fish as a side dish at most’. The regional and seasonal focus means that you will look in vain for avocados and other exotic products on the menu. The fact that ‘& flora’ has been awarded 3 toques and its head chef Parvin Razavi the title of ‘Gault Millau Newcomer of the Year’ proves that this culinary concept is a success. And this in the very first year since opening.
Basic principles of cooking: ‘Farm to Table’ and ‘From Leaf to Root’
Selected suppliers and high-quality products form the basis of Parvin Razavi's kitchen line. These include vegetable producers such as ‘Krautwerk’ or ‘Dirndln am Feld’, bread from the family-run bakery ‘Öfferl’. The succulent Viennese leg ham, a regional speciality that was honoured by Slowfood as a ‘Passenger of the Ark of Taste’, can look back on a long tradition: the Thum family has been producing it in Vienna since 1860, enriching the breakfast menu at the Gilbert.
When it comes to processing, the chef favours the holistic use of the products and preserves them for later use. Pickling and fermentation generally play a major role so as not to miss out on a variety of flavours - pickled sultanas, quince chutney or green almonds, for example, play around the dishes and every peel, every herb, every section is processed into stock or pickles. In this way, vast quantities of fruit and vegetables are preserved in the summer months and then served throughout the winter.
The culinary style: colourful and in love with detail
Born in Tehran, Parvin Razavi came to Vienna at the age of eight. She combines the products, spices and aromas of her childhood with a variety of other flavours, preparation methods and influences. Quote: ‘Recipes are there to be changed.’ Parvin Razavi's creations defy categorisation, as they are inspired by Japanese, Oriental, Lebanese and Austrian influences. Although vegetables are the star of the plate in most cases, meat and fish also line the menu - from Mangalitza shoulder to X.O. Beef from the foothills of the Austrian Alps to catfish from Vienna. Parvin Razavi uses vegetables to create intense, highly flavoured dishes. When it comes to preparation, the chef takes an unusual approach, for example when creating a portobello mushroom dish inspired by the flavours of a roast onion.
Consistent sustainability
The hotel is also serious about sustainability when it comes to air conditioning: all air conditioning systems in the hotel cannot be set below 22 degrees. Cooling is only possible from mid-May to mid-September, and only when the outside temperature is above 27 degrees. The green façade does its bit. Even and pleasant room temperatures have a positive effect on the well-being of guests. Heating is provided by district heating, whereby the rooms are only heated up to a maximum of 23 degrees. Detail: 50% of Vienna's district heating is already generated from industrial waste heat, waste incineration, biomass and geothermal and ambient heat, and only 50% from natural gas. By 2040, the remaining natural gas is also to be replaced and the Gilbert's district heating will be climate-neutral.
The cosmetics in the rooms come exclusively from the Austrian company Lederhaas, which is 100% cruelty-free and uses only organic ingredients. Small shampoos and the like are not used - the housekeeping team refills and cleans all dispensers daily. When purchasing consumables, strict attention is paid to their environmental compatibility. This applies to paper as well as amenities made from bamboo and wood, slippers made from sustainable fabrics and much more. The laundry and many suppliers are environmentally, organically or Demeter-certified.
And another project is already being planned: in future, the Gilbert will clean exclusively with hot water vapour at 90° Celsius without any detergents. Hotel guests are encouraged to discover Vienna in an environmentally conscious way with the hire of bicycles and e-vespas.
Part of the “Change maker” network
The Hotel Gilbert is a member of a cooperation of innovative family-run or owner-run hotels, the “Change Maker Hotels”. These visionaries in the tourism industry address ecological, economic and social issues and develop ideas and solutions to enable their guests to enjoy a high-quality, mindful stay with respect for nature, animals and people.
When selecting the Change Maker partners, 11 criteria are specified, with the respective companies performing particularly innovative work in at least three of them. The factors relate to areas such as healthy eating, employee fairness, regional value creation, circular economy, social responsibility and mobility.
https://www.hotel-gilbert.at/
https://www.undflora.at/
Food suppliers:
https://www.slow-food.at/arche-des-geschmacks/l/wiener-beinschinken
https://www.slowfood.at/genussfuehrer/l/krautwerk
https://dirndlnamfeld.bio/
https://www.oefferl.bio/
Cookbooks by Parvin Razavi :
https://neukirchener-verlage.de/vegan-oriental.html
https://verlagshaus24.de/teheran
Cosmetics:
https://www.lederhaas-cosmetics.com/
Hotel co-operation:
https://changemakerhotels.com/
Text: Peter Grett
Pictures:
Lead picture: Michael Königshofer
Picture 1 Facade: Tony-Gigov-Photography
Picture 2 Parvin Razavi: Florence Stoiber
Pictures 3-5 Food: Florence Stoiber
Picture 6 Epic Loft: Gregor Hofbauer