mohr niklas architekten
Ágnes Heller House
best architects 25
education buildings
Place
Vienna, Austria
Studio
Photos
David Schreyer
Description
The main urban design concept affecting this project is the densification of the building volume along Innrain Street and the consequent maximisation of urban spatial reserves. The green space that is thus freed up offers a valuable recreational area for the local community while ensuring sustainability on the social, ecological, environmental and climatic levels. The partial densification results in a clear urban edge to the street space and makes the university a new high point in the overall urban system. The structure of the building mediates between the small-scale buildings on Rechengasse and the larger volumes of the hospital complex on the other side while incorporating the grain of the existing university campus. The aim is to create a resilient building able to adapt to changes in university life and operations and meet the needs of a busy public facility. Therefore, a load-bearing structure consisting of a reinforced concrete core and load-bearing outer walls was chosen to enable long-term flexibility in floor plans and use. Additionally, durable surface materials are used in the public areas of the building.