The open-air stage adds a new accent to the historic palace park of Grafenegg. The stage roof unfolds as sculptural motif and rises up like the crown of a great tree between the existing treetops. The reflections in the metal surface create the feeling of a “cloud-capp’d tower”, the “Wolkenturm”. Based on the fundamental acoustic principles of “what you see you hear”, affinities are explored between perspective and acoustic space. Earthworks and embankments have created artificial hills, into which stage and auditorium merge smoothly in topographical relief. Ingenious planning of viewpoints and spatial sequences opens up a multi-stratified space. The “Wolkenturm” has the function of both stage and pavilion within the landscape garden.

tnE Architects ZT GmbH – harnoncourt | fuchs & partner project team: Marie-Therese Harnoncourt-Fuchs, Ernst J. Fuchs, Paul Vabitsch, Claudia Cavallar, Jennie Enwall, Daniel Harrer, Waltraud Hoheneder, Marianna Milioni, Egon Niedertscheider, Hannes Oswald, Maja Ozvaldic client: Grafenegg Kultur Betriebsges.m.b.H., St. Pölten

overall planning: ARGE tnE Architects | Land in Sicht landscape planning: Land in Sicht, Wien; Thomas Proksch structural engineering: Ingenieurteam GmbH Bergmeister, Varna-Vahrn, I; Josef Taferner, Jochen Ehmann acoustics: Müller-BBM GmbH, München, D; Prof. Karlheinz Müller light design: Ploderer & Partner, Wien; Christian Ploderer