In Vienna’s Gersthof, a 1920s orthopaedic hospital set in a park of century-old trees was spared from becoming private apartments and turned into a public school campus. Franz&Sue’s conversion, which earned the Grand Prix at the BIG SEE Architecture Awards 2026, met its biggest challenges in rooms too shallow for classrooms and in the evacuation routes of a listed building. In the video, Founding Partner Christian Ambos reflects on what drives the practice, followed by three questions with Managing Partner Corinna Toell.

Three Questions for Franz&Sue on Architecture That Adapts

Q: What was the defining challenge or opportunity in From Hospital to School, and how did it influence the key design decisions?

A: When adapting the existing building, the room depths – which were actually too shallow for classrooms – and the evacuation routes posed a challenge. Another question was how to incorporate modern building services into a listed building. At the same time, this presented an opportunity to rethink schooling from scratch, without having to adhere strictly to all regulatory requirements. The result demonstrates that contemporary school communities are well possible even within the context of listed buildings.

Q: Across your practice, what ideas, values or recurring questions continue to shape the way you work?

A: We develop projects in close dialogue with our clients to create spaces that can be put to good use in the long term. We design places for the present that can be easily adapted in the future.  We believe it is a great responsibility for us as planners to ensure that our society has good communal spaces, particularly today.

“We design places for the present that can be easily adapted in the future.”

Q: What do you believe is still worth creating in architecture today, and what questions do you want your own practice to continue exploring?

A: Currently we are dealing with the question of how real-life encounters in public spaces and municipal buildings can work – in a world where everything seems to be digital and AI-generated.

“We believe it is a great responsibility for us as planners to ensure that our society has good communal spaces, particularly today.”

About From Hospital to School

In Vienna’s Gersthof area, Franz&Sue transformed the Orthopaedic Hospital from the 1920s into a contemporary educational campus. The listed building is situated within an extensive park with century-old trees, creating a unique setting for its new role.

After the hospital moved out, the future of the building was uncertain. Instead of being converted into private apartments, the complex became a public educational project developed by the Federal Real Estate Company (Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft), demonstrating the potential of adapting existing buildings into contemporary learning environments.

At the rear of the park, two new gymnasiums with black-glazed wooden slatted façades complement the existing pavilion structure, creating a dialogue between historic fabric and contemporary architecture.