122 Nordbahnhof, Vienna L.pdf - Sergison Bates architects

Sergison Bates architects
122 Urban housing and community space, Nordbahnhof, Vienna
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Client Neues Leben
Competition 2010
Project duration: 2010-12
Contract value: £3.5 million
Gross internal area: 4060m2
The building forms part of a cluster of
approx.100 apartments including a café/
library, a multipurpose communal room
and a roof terrace. Developed on a
former railway yard close to Vienna city
centre, for social housing developers
'Neues Leben'.
In collaboration with Werner Neuwirth
and von Ballmoos Krucker Architekten.
FIRST PRIZE
1 Cluster of three buildings from north
2 Location plan
Sergison Bates architects
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1 Upper floor plan
Sergison Bates architects

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1 Model image of the south east elevation
2 Cluster of buildings from south 2
Sergison Bates architects

Our building joins two others by von
Balmoos Krucker and Werner Neuwirth
to form an intimate urban cluster.
Located to the north east of Vienna
the building creates a backdrop to the
common courtyard to the south west and
defines the southerly perimeter of a new
landscape garden to the north east.
From the courtyard, shared by all three
buildings, the city is left outside the site
boundary and yet by forming a pedestrian
route through this space from the south
west to the north west, it creates another
sort of intermediary place which is
offered back to the city.
Entry to the building is from this space
via an external loggia in the corner into
a covered entrance hall. Adjacent to
this, and opening both to the courtyard
and the landscaped garden to the east,
is a children’s room. Other associated
activities are grouped around such
laundry and pram store. The room may
also become useful for other communal
activities organised by residents.
Apartments are organised round a central
daylit communal stair hall and entered
via a second private hall which serves as
an important transition space between
the more public world and the intimacy
of the home. Apartment sizes are mixed
with the expectation that a wide variety
of family types will occupy the building
as in a diverse and mutually supportive
neighbourhood. Each home has a loggia
closely connected to the kitchen and
living and dining areas and a balcony
which may be accessed from bedrooms.
The loggia feels like an open-sided room
with the potential to be used during many
parts of the year.
Most apartments have a dual aspect and
some higher ceilings of 3.2m in the living
rooms. 40% of apartments have a change
in level which provides variety and a
unique character to individual homes.
The layout of steps within all apartments
is designed to be easily modified to
provide wheelchair access.
Split-level apartments for larger families
or communal households are arranged
on the 5th, 6th and 7th floors and a
shared rooftop terrace is arranged facing
south. This may be used as a communal
allotment and outside eating area.
The external expression of the building
is of a stuccoed volume in a pigmented
colour with a coarse texture. Large
openings on the upper floors, of equal
size and spacing, are formed for both
loggias and windows. Smoother stuccoed
reveals, soffits and side returns reshape
the opening in detail and provide
the necessary fire protection between
apartments. The ground floor has a
different expression and is of precast
concrete panels, beams and posts. It’s
misalignment with the upper parts of the
building creates an appropriately defined
podium expression and identifies the
entrance to this urban house.
Sergison Bates architects
Client: Neues Leben
Collaborators: von Balmoos Krucker
architekten / Werner Neuwirth