Hangar-7

Dietrich Mateschitz, the co-founder of Red Bull, wanted a hangar for his collection of historic aircraft. What he got was one of the most ambitious architectural statements in Austria. Designed by Salzburg-based architect Volkmar Burgstaller, Hangar-7 spans 67 by 100 metres without a single internal support column — a shell structure of this shape and scale had never been attempted before. Construction began in January 2001 and the building opened in August 2003, clad in 1,754 curved glass panels held together by 1,200 tonnes of steel.

The lights embedded in the concrete floor are arranged in the exact constellation of stars as seen from Salzburg on August 22, 2003 — the night of the opening. It is the kind of obsessive, money-is-no-object detail that defines the entire project. Inside, vintage aircraft from the Flying Bulls collection share the floor with Formula One cars, contemporary art installations, and rotating exhibitions that treat speed, engineering, and aesthetics as interchangeable concepts.

The building also houses Ikarus, a Michelin-starred restaurant where a different guest chef from around the world takes over the kitchen each month, cooking their signature menu with the restaurant's staff. It is arguably the most unusual fine-dining concept in Europe — imagine a restaurant that changes its entire personality twelve times a year — and it sits inside an aircraft hangar next to an airport.

The whole experience is free. You can walk in, look at a P-38 Lightning fighter from World War II, admire a contemporary sculpture, have a drink at the Mayday Bar beneath the wing of a historical aircraft, and leave without spending a cent. Hangar-7 is located adjacent to Salzburg Airport, about a fifteen-minute drive from the old town, and it represents a version of Salzburg that has absolutely nothing to do with Mozart or the Baroque. Which is exactly the point.