The construction site of the former Nordbahnhof in Vienna is characterized by a two-line building arrangement that serves as a permeable filter layer between the city and the public park “freie Mitte” near the tracks. The volume of the streetside row of buildings is clearly structured by staggering the height of individual components and recesses. Generous passageways open the edge of the block and allow visual axes into the green across the residential quarter. In our design, we arrange the 46 units on eight floors around a particularly compact, central staircase and dispense with natural lighting in order to maximize the living space. We install large-format light walls that bathe the interior in atmospheric white and pursue the exterior design of the building inside. The elegant exterior appearance is based on a consistently monochrome design of the façade and balconies. Unlike a cool, modernist living cube this radiates individuality and human warmth in its varied formulation. Large-format light changes bathe the entrances to the apartments in atmospheric white.
Credits
Architecture
Synn Architekten
Client
ÖVW Österreichisches Volkswohnungswerk Gem. Gesellschaft m.b.H.
Year of completion
2022
Location
Vienna, Austria
Total area
3.356 m2
Photos
Hertha Hurnaus
Project Partners
Carla Lo landscape architecture, Porr AG, Mischek ZT GmbH
