CITY OF VIENNA MUSEUM COMPETITION
Vienna, Austria
The competition task is a design for the “Wien Museum NEU". The process of the restoration (building services and building envelope renovation), conversion and extension is to revitalize the spatial and functional qualities of the museum for years to come. To create a place for the encounter of people, a special location in the heart of Vienna for the preservation, exhibition and interaction with the urban history, art and other societal issues. The building will integrate with the multifaceted institutions at the Karlsplatz, which participate in the discourse on art, culture and society in this inspiring environment.
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The future building ensemble should be an exemplary museum building in every way, on a par with current internationally valid technical and security standards and a space for the collections of the Wien Museum (paintings, sculptures, photography, graphic art, decorative arts) and its many exhibition activities. With appropriately designed rooms and an adequate system for the guidance of visitors, the museum should accommodate both the permanent and temporary exhibitions, some of which cover as much as 1,500 to 2,000 square meters and within 3 to 4 month attract crowds of 60,000 to 80,000. The aim is to increase the overall annual number of visitors from currently 150,000 to 200,000.
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THE DESIGN
The design extends the world-famous "Karlsplatz" square onto the stepped roof of the new museum. This provides a completely new way of experiencing the square as well as the adjacent baroque church. The non-monumental form of the new museum's stepped roof contrasts with the monumental appearance of the "Karlskirche". The stepped museum roof creates a stage and a meeting place for locals and visitors alike.
The permeability of the roof creates easy access to various museum elements such as event spaces, cafe, and the generous foyer of the building. The existing building, the "Härdtlbau" is surrounded completely by the new museum and is thus treated itself as an object of the museum collection. The facades and all historic elements of the existing building are preserved.
Multiple entrances to all floors enhance the flexibility of the museum curation for the permanent collections. The temporary exhibitions can be used as one unit or as separate elements. Due to the strict separation of front and back of house the receiving and delivery areas are located at the back of the building in combination with offices and restoration areas.​​
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