Three new buildings have replaced the former 100m-long official building at Modenapark 1–2. The south building, designed by BWM Architekten, takes its inspiration from the historical surroundings. The dynamic exposed-concrete façade along the street features horizontal, three-dimensional bands that create a counterpoint to the surrounding park; climbing plants on a trellis structure provide greenery in the courtyard. The flats range in size from microlofts to family-friendly units. Residents can enjoy a magnificent, unobstructed view across Modenapark and Vienna’s roofscape.
What makes Modenapark so special is not only its central location but also its relatively short history. The modern residential buildings encircling the park date back to the 1920s and 30s, and their façades create a backdrop that could not be more typically Viennese. The striking ensemble of non-communal residential buildings features characteristic façades interspersed with balconies and bay windows. The site that today goes by the name of Modenapark was formerly an ornamental garden that belonged to Duchess Beatrice d’Este. In 1926 what was left of the garden was turned into today’s Modenpark. The rows of houses that were built are characterised by parcelling according to Gründerzeit principles.
In the rhythm of the surroundings.
Three new buildings, which correspond with the typical plot structure of the area, have replaced the former 100m-long official building at Modenapark 1–2. Each building was given an individual treatment, thereby avoiding the monotony that would seem inevitable in such a long façade. BWM Architekten designed the structure at the south end of the site. “The guiding principle behind the design of the new structure that was inserted into the ensemble was, on the one hand, to create a harmonious marriage with the historical surroundings in terms of colours and materials, and, on the other hand, to venture out of the historical form language into a new, contemporary architectural language,” BWM architect Markus Kaplan explains. The result is a new syntax for materials and forms, which adopts the rhythm of the surroundings, while adding elements such as balconies.
Task
Construction of a new seven-floor residential building including attic floor; the ±80 privately financed freehold flats range in size from 18m2 to 152m2
Status
Completion 06/2020
Client
JP Immobiliengruppe
BWM Team
Markus Kaplan, Gerhard Girsch, Liliya Berova, Ferdinand Bischofter, Stefan Mandl, Spela Zupan, Massimiliano Marian, Michal Jiskra
Image credit
BWM Architekten/Lukas Schaller, JP Immobilien
Participants
Final planning
F+P Architekten ZT GmbH
Electrical planning, domestic engineering
TB Freunschlag GmbH
Fire protection, construction physics
Kern + Ingenieure Ziviltechniker GmbH
Surveying
KOPA Korschineck & Partner Vermessung
Statics
KS Ingenieure ZT GmbH
