Description

The focus of the subsidised housing project on the site of the former north railway station, one of the largest inner-city development areas in Vienna, is “intercultural housing”. To achieve the aim of intercultural living in a culturally mixed neighbourhood with a functioning social community, the project needed to provide diverse opportunities for communication and interaction in goodquality (semi-)public spaces. The Wohnpark PaN (“Partner of all nations”) proposes a concept that is itself designed by architecture offices from three different countries – Austria, Great Britain and Switzerland – who each planned one of the three buildings.

Werner Neuwirth initiated the collaboration between the architects in the competition phase and they were able to secure the site with their design proposal. Each of the teams designed one of the freestanding buildings, which contain between 28 and 32 apartments and are placed in such a way as to create a sheltered square. A few joint design criteria were agreed in advance: a concrete plinth at ground floor level, rendered façades with windows and no projections, and subdued colours. The teams were otherwise free to develop their own designs, especially for the interiors. Unlike many subsidised housing programmes, external functions (a shop, children’s nursery and a bilingual children’s group) have been incorporated with the aim of making the quarter more vibrant. The remaining space on the ground floors is reserved forcommun al uses which the residents can decide on themselves. Spacious loggias serve as entrances to the seven to ten-storey high buildings and the standards of the apartments exceed the minimum standards of subsidised housing. This was made possible in part by varying room heights – depending on the function – for example by using a combination of low-height bedrooms and 3–5-metrehigh living rooms. Spacious loggias, open on three sides, ensure good illumination. Every building also has its own communal roof terrace with covered areas to protect against wind and rain.

The client and the architects undertook the concept and planning jointly – there was no participation process with the future residents. Instead, workshops were offered once per week for half a year after the residents moved in. Undertaken by a mediation and consulting office with a focus of community-building and social settlement management, the intention was to break down mental barriers with respect to the new living environment and within the group, to agree possible uses for the communal spaces and to enable the residents to get to know each other. Twenty different nationalities live in the Wohnpark, and the neighbourhood community is seen not as a problem but as an opportunity.

A competition for developers entitled “Intercultural housing” was initiated by the housing fund Wohnfonds Wien for the site of the former north railway station. The three architects, themselves from different countries, took part together with the non-profit housing co-op association as developer and were awarded the commission.

The competition for developers was held in March 2010. The project planning began in June 2010 and was completed in August 2013. The residents moved in a month later.

Subsidised housing.

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Originally published in: Annette Becker, Laura Kienbaum, Kristien Ring, Peter Cachola Schmal, Bauen und Wohnen in Gemeinschaft / Building and Living in Communities, Birkhäuser, 2015.