Wien Holding Arena
A floating sound space
Vienna presents itself to the world in particular through its intensive cultural life. The large number of venues - especially in the historic city centre - is now to be extended by a new large event hall. Large arenas are able to further develop the image of a city. Old neighbourhoods are being given new roles in the life of the city. Transformations are taking place. Located on a main traffic artery - the Süd-Ost-Tangente urban motorway - the Wien Holding Arena is seen by thousands of people every day. Through the significance and symbolic nature of the solution, Vienna emphasises the importance of the new arena and the upgrading of the newly dedicated urban district.
Placement
1st prize competition 2020
Location
Vienna
Project staff
Atelier Mauch, Vitus Barth, Luca de Angelis, Ninoslav Ilic, Alexandro Rossi, Christina Sellner, Itziar Uzcudun
Building owner
Wien Holding
Size
129,556 m² GFA
Project staff (Comp.)
Ninoslav Ilic, Jakub Lech, Radoslaw Matusiak, Andreas Metz, Selma Sarcevic, Itziar Uzcudun
An urban foyer
The arena is integrated into the life of the city via interlocking squares that utilise the topography of the site. Spacious recreational areas and distribution levels are interlinked via wide open staircases and ramps. The volume of the arena balances above this two-dimensional folding structure of the development with wide cantilevers over the surrounding open space. The geometry of the high-rise creates a precise counterpoint to the hall. The incision facing the hall takes up the dialogue with its wide overhangs. At this point, the square becomes denser and takes on an urban appearance.
Elegance and dynamism
The architecture of the arena combines the elegance of a pure concert hall with the power and dynamism of a sports stadium. The dynamic basic form arises from the supporting structure of the hall, while the complex processes and requirements create essential boundary conditions. The architecture ultimately emerges from differentiated spatial experiences with their views and vistas. At the entrance areas, the interior opens up to the open space with maximum transparency. The largely closed façade above creates a floating metallic structure, which partially dissolves into transparency again at the top and becomes a roof terrace.
Metallic shimmering volumes
The façade creates different moods. During the day, the narrow tubular metal structure in front of it creates an elevated, elegantly shimmering volume. In the evening, the sophisticated backlighting of the tubular mesh transforms the building into a softly glowing structure. Glazed slits in the closed climate envelope behind it allow views into the corridors and foyers. This means that the arena's events can also be experienced from a distance.
