Schönbrunn

The palace complex ends at the intersection of Schönbrunner Schlossstraße and Grünbergstraße. Historically, an additional wing was added at this location. The resulting internal courtyard is known, due to its shape, as the “Spitzhof”; via a thoroughfare it also has a direct connection to the street. These spaces, currently empty, are to be annexed into the neighbouring conference centre. The addition of the areas to the north of the courtyard offers the possibility of connecting the conference centre directly to the public street-space, and with this greatly improved public visibility. A glass roof spans the courtyard and transforms this into a high-quality, internal space. Carefully planted green areas border this new internal space; creating a seamless transition between inside and outside.

The newly created central space connects the circulation routes of the existing conference centre with the newly gained areas. As central hub, it is a space for information and, through its design, also a space for lingering and interaction. Large, sliding glass doors expand the central area into the landscaped outdoor space, creating a pleasant microclimate. The new multi-purpose spaces can be flexibly adapted to various, different user scenarios and are an ideal supplement to the existing seminar rooms. Their size can be modified through subdividing screens, and various combinations with the central space are made possible through easily operated sliding elements - creating a variety of interconnected spaces.

 

Extension Conference Centre Schönbrunn
1130 Vienna, Schloss Schönbrunn – Apothekertrakt

Invited competition 2010; 1st place

Client
Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsgesellschaft

Staff members Geiswinkler & Geiswinkler
Roland Benesch, Stefan Hack, David Palus, Martina Rest, Robert Scheutz


Photography
Manfred Seidl

Structural Engineering
Werkraum Wien


Building Services Consultant
BPS Engineering

Building Physics
Wolfgang Hebenstreit

Net. Floor Area
1,200 m² approx.

 

Completion
2015