Republic of Austria Parliament Refurbishment

Project data

Year

Status

Type

Size 
20.000 m2

48.2081, 16.3584

General Refurbishment of Parliament
Republic of Austria

2nd Stage, General Planning Services Offer

Premises

The concept is about preserving the design concepts of the Parliament. On one hand, the building, built in the architecture of historicism, built by Theophil Hansel, and on the other hand, the conversion of the National Assembly Hall done, under the influence of post-war modernism, by the Fellerer and Wöhrle Architects.

All necessary interventions and efficiency-enhancing measures with their contemporary approach complement the entire ensemble of the Parliament. The approaches, to the solutions, correspond to the cultural context of the 21st century and the requirements for a sustainably oriented renovation for a renewal future-oriented parliamentary building.

The historical building was oriented towards antiquity and created in the machine age, and it was later remodeled in the tradition of the modern age. We see our contribution as a supplement and continuation of the main work.

Historicism - Postwar Modernism - Architecture 2.0

Overall Solution Approach

The overall solution approach for the refurbishment and use of the parliament building, divided into basic refurbishment and efficiency-enhancing measures, is based on the guiding principle of refurbishing the existing building, that includes the clearly defined, self-confident and contemporary refurbishment measures and additions.

The building, in its clear structure by Theophil Hansen, will not change. Great considerations will be given to the historical and listed areas of the building. The new interventions will ensure a contemporary and future-oriented parliamentary operation.

These interventions relate to necessary infrastructural measures, such as additional (or to be renovated) staircases for necessary evacuation; use of previously unused spatial capacities such as the “amphitheatre”, “Magistrale”, book storage, and the regional office hall; efficiency-enhancing measures in the attic (via the National Assembly Hall and central axis via the portico) for new restaurants/cafeteria. These staircases are supplemented by new staircases in the rooms next to the Federal Assembly Hall, consultation room, Lokal IV, and next to court 1 and 8.

These staircases will be used, by the new premises on the 2nd floor, to escape the people from the restaurant/cafeteria in the attic and the ground floor (amphitheatre and Magistrale).

This means that all the necessary refurbishment measures and the structural work for the efficiency enhancement can be implemented in one construction phase. For the extension of the attic above the National Assembly Hall or above the central longitudinal axis, these refurbishment measures can be implemented from outside without major disruptions to parliamentary operations.

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