Ballonhalle

The conversion of the balloon hall into a site for the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (ZMKK) and the Vienna University of Technology marks the highly visible beginning of the development of the Arsenal for academic use. For this reason, our competition entry proposes a simple and open architectural enclosure, which, due to the opportunities inherent in its scale and formal organization, succeeds in formulating both an address to Franz-Grill-Straße, establishing an urban integration of the beautiful balloon hall, and striking a simple, strong rhythm for the subsequent urban development. Instead of a direct annex to the listed hall, the urban design proposes the precise placement of several functionally and proportionally differentiated components, which are connected by a newly emerging fabric of streets and squares with each other and with the public street space. The new ensemble focuses on a framed forecourt to the balloon hall, which also serves as a built interface for exchange between research and the public. The pedestrian, human scale forms the basis of the proposal for architectural development, which was derived from this configuration: a sequence of spatially related individual buildings, interwoven by small squares, gardens, and lanes. The listed balloon hall forms the centerpiece of the new university area. Three buildings in the north set an urban signal and house auditoriums, seminar rooms, offices, and a library. The balloon hall remains free-standing and accommodates studios and laboratories. Each building has its own address to create identity. A pavilion with a café complements the campus and serves as a meeting point. Access is via external streets, while entrances face the neighborhood square. The architecture creates diverse views and harmonizes with the balloon hall. Thus, the architecture of the new buildings does not compete with the balloon hall but frames its delicate façades.