Franz&Sue
Stadtelefant. Neighbourhood building and architectural cluster
best architects 21
office/administrative buildings
Place
Vienna, Austria
Studio
Photos
Andreas Buchberger
Description
Together
with its industry partners, the architectural firm Franz&Sue has delivered
the Stadtelefant (literally the «city elephant»)
building in Sonnwendviertel, the city neighbourhood defined by Vienna Central
Station and a new residential area. The structure serves as an office building
and architecture cluster and was funded, planned and constructed by this group
of commercial developers itself. Since early 2019, the building has been home
to several architectural firms, architectural institutions and companies
working in this sector. Facilities open to the public on the ground floor serve
as a cafeteria for employees and locals, as well as an events space for guests
from the creative and architecture scenes. Rental apartments are located on the
top floor. This mixed use intentionally contributes to a vibrant, socially
diverse neighbourhood.
A
pared-back visual aesthetic, durable materials and sustainable concepts define
the building – from the
construction method using factory-built concrete sandwich elements, through to
the 3.20-metre-high rooms suitable for a variety of uses. The factory-built
concrete components feature prefabricated, sand-blasted, exposed-concrete
surfaces and, in combination with the wooden elements, give the interiors a
tactile and homely quality. The concrete actively stores heat and the building
is cooled and ventilated via the ceilings, so that the building technology is
kept to a minimum and out of sight. Externally, the grey, grid-like façade
stands out from conventional glazed office buildings. The newly constructed
Stadtelefant references the urban qualities and structures of Vienna’s «Gründerzeit».