SADAR + VUGA’s competition entry for the Intercity of Vienna, Austria is an urban redevelopment that stands as a symbol of quality architecture of the 21st century and one that uses the urban contextual history in its vision of the contemporary lifestyle. The site of this mixed use urban development is near the new railway station, which makes Intercity a node for newly arriving visitors to see Vienna through the context of the new architecture.
More images and information on this project after the break.
SADAR + VUGA designed Intercity with a number of preconceived notions about what the architecture and urban development should do for the city. Intercity was to be attractive and interesting with high quality working and living conditions. It should be a hybrid district where high-profitability business facilities are in tune with the hotels of a new quality and with public inner and exterior areas with a memorable ambient environment.
The fundamental concept for the proposal is for Intercity to be a sequence of different external and internal areas with individual characters. These areas connect the Intercity with the rail station. The proposal begins with three starting points. Six hexagonal buildings are to be built on four islands. The six buildings into four wide and two narrow buildings. Four buildings are situated the central area and are designed with a business “surface.” Each floor can be subdivided to provide more room for several businesses. The narrower buildings are the two, 3- and 4-star hotels.
All of the buildings have two layers to the facade: a simple internal glass is surrounded with an environmental membrane. A narrow service hall seperates the glass from the membrane. The membrane is composed of fixed modular elements from ceramics and their size varies according to their position on the facade.
The islands act as podiums for the building. Their sizes and shapes vary and determine the character of the external space for the city level. The south-western island has the hotels on the mezzanine. It city level floors are filled with public hotel areas belonging to the high class hotel. The south-eastern island is where the large urban spa is located that joins the external, transitional and inner areas and which is intended for relaxation of the body and of the mind.
Architects: SADAR + VUGA Location: Vienna, Austria Formula: Landscaper, matrix enfold Type: Mixed use Source: Invited competition Client: Immorent Aktiengesellschaft Site: Mariahilferstraße 41-43 / 6.Stock 1060 Wien Site area: 23,249 m2 Building area: 15,538 m2 Total floor area: 122,700 m2 Storeys: 17 storeys Cladding: Responsive ceramic panels for the towers, wood on the public levels Structure: Concrete columns, beams and arches Team: Jurij Sadar, Boštjan Vuga, Jure Hrovat, Janko Radojević, Milena Zindović, Victor Barbalato, Jim Loder, Elke Howard
