Outside The Rathaus is a freestanding
Neo-Gothic building with
Renaissance elements, located on
Rathausplatz with the
Rathauspark in front, consisting of two parks on either side of the square. Behind it are Florianipark and
Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz, the latter housing a statue of the building's architect. On the south side, Lichtenfelsgasse contains the Mayor's residence, once used by mayors like
Karl Lueger and
Jakob Reumann. The Rathaus is also set to be the site of the future
U2x
U5 U-Bahn station. The main
facade features a central
Risalit with a large tower and four smaller side towers, complemented by open
arcades on the ground floor. Above the central tower entrances, three equestrian sculptures are displayed:
Emperor Franz Joseph I (by
Kaspar von Zumbusch) at the center,
Rudolf of Habsburg (by
Carl Kundmann) on the right, and
Duke Rudolf IV (by Josef Gasser) on the left. Flanking the entrance are statues representing Strength and Justice, while the keystone above the entrance features a portrait of architect Friedrich von Schmidt, with colleagues
Franz von Neumann and
Victor Luntz. The 98-meter high tower is crowned by the
Rathausmann, a symbolic figure of Vienna. A statue of "
Vindobona" adorns the front
balustrade, flanked by banner bearers holding Vienna’s and the monarchy’s coats of arms. Eighteen statues of citizen-soldiers from various historical periods (1529–1859) are placed on either side, with additional figures holding shields bearing coats of arms from various suburbs and
crown lands. On the rear facade, a central "Vindobona" statue is flanked by allegorical figures representing Justice, Strength, Art, and Science on the right, and Wisdom, Loyalty, Education, and Charity on the left. The side facades feature statues of various professions: along Lichtenfelsgasse, they depict a carpenter, mechanic, goldsmith, musician, sculptor, architect, painter, weaponsmith, blacksmith, and shoemaker; along Felderstraße, they represent a tailor, cloth maker, merchant, printer, jurist, physician, innkeeper, brewer, baker, and butcher.
Inside The ground floor of the Rathaus houses the Volkshalle, featuring
vaulted ceilings,
tracery windows, and portrait reliefs of the City Hall commission members. Side entrances lead to
vestibules and grand staircases that access the ceremonial rooms on the first floor. At the rear, the Schmidthalle, originally a council vestibule with a carriage entrance, now functions as an information center. Above the Volkshalle, the Festsaal is Austria’s largest historic hall, designed with a
Renaissance-style barrel vault to avoid a church-like appearance. It includes a
loggia, three
galleries, orchestra niches, and relief portraits of
Mozart,
Haydn,
Gluck, and
Schubert. The hall is also decorated with ten statues of historical figures, including
Nicholas von Salm,
Johann Peter Frank, and
Albert Kasimir von Sachsen-Teschen. In front of the hall are marble busts of
Cajetan von Felder and
Friedrich Schmidt, along with honor boards listing
Vienna's honorary citizens. The former buffet rooms flanking the Festsaal include the South Buffet, restored in 1971 and serving as the mayor's office since 1973, while the North Buffet is used for smaller events. The first floor of the Rathaus contains the Senate Chamber, the Coat of Arms Halls, and the Council Chamber at the rear. The Senate Chamber features a richly gilded wooden coffered ceiling and a
Majolica fireplace, with part of the Mayor’s Gallery displayed on the walls. The Coat of Arms Halls, restored in the early 1960s after the
Vienna Museum relocated its Weapons Museum collection, are decorated with flags representing
Austria's federal states in the larger hall and the
state capitals in the smaller one. The Council Chamber, renovated in 1964, boasts a
gilded coffered ceiling with
rosettes, a large chandelier (designed by Friedrich Schmidt and exhibited at the
1878 Paris World Exposition), and
frescoes depicting significant moments in Vienna's history. Memorial plaques outside commemorate events from 1805 and 1945, as well as the local politicians who died in
Nazi concentration camps. The Rathaus features seven courtyards, with the central Arcaded Courtyard being the most prominent. It hosted events during the
First Republic and
Nazi era, including a 1929 performance of ''
Danton's Death'' by
Max Reinhardt. Since the Second Republic, it has been a venue for the
Vienna Festival. In 1989, the courtyard was closed to parking, landscaped, and adorned with sculptures. A café, the Arkaden-Cafe, opened in 1992. Since the 1990s, the Rathaus has been a major venue for balls, including the Refugee Balls, with the most notable being the
Life Ball (1993–2019), Europe’s largest charity event for
AIDS relief. == Gallery ==