Hangar-7 is Dietrich Mateschitz's aircraft and art complex next to Salzburg Airport, built in curved glass and steel and open to visitors for free. Historic planes, Formula 1 cars, contemporary art, and an award-winning restaurant occupy the same improbable space.
The Story
Dietrich Mateschitz did not build Hangar-7 for the public, but the public is welcome anyway. The structure, which opened in 2003 beside Salzburg Airport in Maxglan, was conceived as a home for his collection of historic aircraft and Formula 1 cars, but it evolved into something harder to categorise. The curved glass and steel hangar, designed by Volkmar Burgstaller, is large enough to hold full-scale aircraft and art installations at the same time without either one crowding the other.
The ground floor of the building is the collection: a Fokker triplane replica, various aircraft associated with the Red Bull Air Race, and a changing selection of Formula 1 machinery. The glass walls look out onto the working apron of Salzburg Airport, so aircraft taxi past as you examine the exhibits. This was clearly intentional. The effect is of a museum that has not separated itself from the thing it is about.
On the upper level, Restaurant Ikarus operates a programme that invites guest chefs from around the world to take over the kitchen for a month at a time. It has held Michelin recognition and remains one of the more unusual fine dining formats in Austria. Entry to the museum level costs nothing; Ikarus requires a reservation.
Mateschitz died in October 2022. Hangar-7 continues to operate under Red Bull ownership.
Visiting
Hangar-7 is at Wilhelm-Spazier-Strasse 7a, adjacent to Salzburg Airport in Maxglan, roughly 4 kilometres from the Altstadt. Open daily 9am-10pm; confirm current hours at hangar-7.com. Museum entry is free; no booking needed. Restaurant Ikarus requires advance reservation. Accessible by city bus or taxi from the centre.