Since the nineteenth century, Austrian architecture has been regarded on of the most interesting national building cultures. Over the past forty years Austrian firms such as Coop Himmelb(l)au and Delugan Meissl have gained great international recognition for their work.

In its biennially published collection Best of Austria, the Vienna Centre of Architecture presents award-winning buildings by Austrian architects and projects by foreign architects constructed in Austria. Each book in the Best of Austria series provides an up-to-date survey of contemporary architecture and building culture in Austria, as well as showing overarching global trends in the field from a unique perspective. All the architecture prizes awarded by public or public institutions in Austria are represented, and each of the 160 projects is presented in color images, alongside a floor plan and concise description of the building itself. An essay discussing the state of architecture in Austria from an outside perspective rounds out the volume.