I stood before a tray of sand – blue, green, pink, purple, white – and chose one, aware the decision mattered more than it should. Blowpipe in hand, I edged towards the furnace, the 1,000°C heat hitting like a physical wave. The glassblower guided every step – gather, roll, blow – as the molten glass took shape. My paperweight, marked by breath and heat, may have turned out lopsided, but it made real Vienna’s centuries-old culture.
This was no static demonstration. The hands-on encounter at Studio Comploj, founded in 2017 by Austrian artist Robert Comploj, invited me and other travellers to participate, not just observe, the exacting rhythm of glassmaking.
The experience, part of a curated programme by Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, connects guests with the city beyond its imperial facades. The hotel, housed in a 19th century building designed by Theophil Hansen, has repositioned itself not just as a place to stay, but as a cultural conduit.
Vedad Bakovic, director of sales and marketing at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, says the idea is to move past conventional sightseeing. “We aim to open doors usually closed to the public, giving guests access to the cultural, artistic and historical soul of Vienna,” he says.
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