Award Ceremony: Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis 2007

venue: Postal Savings Bank / Grosser Kassensaal, 2 Georg Coch-Platz, 1010 Vienna

Welcome address: Stephan Koren, Managing Director Österreichische Postsparkasse
Introduction: Dietmar Steiner, Director Az W
Christoph Lammerhuber talks about the jury process, pool Architektur ZT GmbH, winner of the 4th Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis
Official opening: Rudolf Schicker, Executive Councillor for Urban Development and Traffic

The first ‘Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis’ prize was awarded in 1995 and in keeping with the three-yearly rhythm the fifth prize will be awarded on 5 November 2007. The competition is an open award for new urban planning concepts for Austria. For the 5th Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis projects were sought that address in a new and positive way the problems of urban development in a society in a permanent state of change.
On 5 October 2007 a total of 42 projects were presented for assessment to the jury, from which the jury members had to select a prizewinner and award the honourable mentions. The projects submitted offered a representative overview of the state and level of development of urban planning in Austria. The entries could, in general, be subdivided into three categories based on very different basic approaches: “Buildings / Landmarks”, “Urban Strategies”, and “Developing Projects”. The high quality and the broad typological spectrum of the submitted entries led the jury under chairperson David Chipperfield to choose one prize-winner as well as two finalists so that it could honour three exemplary urban planning strategies. Seven further projects received a special mention and were also selected for the exhibition in the PSK.

The winning project receives a prize of EUR 15.000,- funded by the Österreichische Postsparkasse.

THE PRIZEWINNER

Raum : Werk : Lehen, Salzburg (project no. 38)
HALLE 1 / TOUZIMSKY HEROLD ARCHITEKTUR with Wolfram Mehlem / TRANSPARADISO
“The jury selected this urban renewal strategy for the district of Lehen in Salzburg on account of its exceptional depth. By appropriating latent existing structural potential an attempt is made to develop a ‘new urban intensity’ using a number of part projects. The way they are inter-related and the manner in which they reassess local qualities means that the projects submitted offer a high level of potential for renewal. It is this networked approach in particular that the jury singles out as a special contribution to urban planning.” Jury 5th Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis 2007

The dense district of Lehen, most of which developed rapidly after the Second World War, hit the headlines again at the beginning of the 1990s. Its central axis, Ignaz Harrer Strasse, which has a strong commercial identity, was and is threatened by decay. On account of this problem in 1998 the urban development planners were commissioned to search for chances and development potential in the context of a project titled ‘Development Corridor Ignaz Harrer Strasse / Münchner Bundesstrasse” with the aim of initiating a new upswing that would provide a way out of this situation of decay. Three of the focal areas identified in this project lie in the immediate proximity of Ignaz Harrer-Strasse. These are the area known as the Fallnhauser site, the grounds of the former Stadtwerke (municipal utilities), and the old football stadium. The fourth focal point is the conversion of the Mercedes site into a senior citizens centre on Siebenstädtestrasse.
Lehen Stadium -> new centre for Lehen / open field + Skybar
1-step competition open to entries from throughout the EU 2002 – 2003, 140 participants, implementation has been taking place since 2006
HALLE 1 (Gerhard Sailer, Heinz Lang)
Strategic programme: mix of public institutions, social/ commercial facilities, housing

Mercedes site -> Parklife / typological transformation
Europan competition 2002 – 2003, implementation 2007 – 2009
TOUZIMSKY HEROLD ARCHITEKTUR (Daniela Herold, Rolf Touzimsky) in collaboration with Wolfram Mehlem
Strategic programme: new neighbourhoods / housing, senior citizens centre, assisted living

Stadtwerke (municipal utilities) site -> Stadt:Werk:Lehen / programmatic bands of open space
3-step competition 2006 with preliminary master scenario, implementation 2007 – 2011
TRANSPARADISO (Barbara Holub, Paul Rajakovics, Bernd Vlay)
Strategic programme: urban housing mix, specialised work, research, culture
New building Fallnhauser site /housing.work.leisure
Directly commissioned through a workshop process, social concept in collaboration with Wohnbund Salzburg, implementation 2004 – 2006
HALLE 1 (Gerhard Sailer, Heinz Lang)
Strategic programme: integration of new forms of living and working

THE FINALISTS

BTV Stadtforum, Innsbruck, 2001 – 2006 (project no.16)
Atelier Heinz Tesar with Johann Obermoser

“The tall, spacious hall is a semi-public interior and is singled out for special praise as an example of a space ‘returned’ to the public by a private client. The project shows in an exemplary way that not just the immediate users, but all the inhabitants of a city can benefit from such a building.” Jury 5th Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis 2007

The main concern in the project for the new headquarters of the Bank für Tirol and Vorarlberg in the city centre of Innsbruck was to animate the city by introducing a new “urban particle” with a semi-public, open interior space, on the one hand in order to improve the quality of the place that had been adversely affected by motorised traffic, and on the other to enrich the urban structure by making new contents possible. The urban structure of the block is newly defined in terms of an urban forum with a pedestrian square in front of it, the aim being to mesh the place more closely with urban space. The semi-public interior space serves as a city forum and a foyer and contains an events location, an event hall, branch bank, training centre, bar and restaurant.

FLUC & FLUC WANNE, Vienna, 2006 – 2007 (project no. 17)
Klaus Stattmann

“With its subversive ‘spirit’ this project is deserving of special recognition as it is representative of many international initiatives concerned with converting and reviving neglected places in urban space. The container ensemble – ‘with a high trash factor’ (Stattmann) proves that, even in a state of permanent reconstruction, an independent cultural initiative can work in a precise urban way. This decidedly anti-monumental project is convincing thanks to its intelligent social strategy and the ironic way in which it appropriates the status quo of a city that defines itself not only through its valuable building fabric but also through its alternative public realms.” Jury 5th Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis 2007

In current urban practice architecture’s room for manoeuvre is being increasingly reduced. The concept of Fluc 2 is seen as a response to the growing tendency to “manage” urban space, as a plea for a multitude of different voices, for heterogeneous overlays. An existing, run-down subterranean pedestrian passageway and a former public lavatory at Praterstern serve as the architectural starting point for the new FLUC 2. The urban concept involves improving and enhancing the existing underground crossing Praterstern- Ausstellungsstrasse by means of building around it and using it as an events space that can respond flexibly to different situations of use, while also preserving the existing function of the underground crossing

THE 7 HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Housing at Lohbach, Innsbruck (project no. 09)
Baumschlager – Eberle / Marte.Marte Architekten / driendl*architects
Basis for the project: competition, scheduled completion 2008

Ship Station, Vienna City (project no. 19)
fasch&fuchs.
Basis for the project: competition 2006, construction 2007 – 2009

HAAG 007 – Die Rückkehr des Lebens / The Return of Life (project no. 20)
nonconform
Basis for the project: competition and own initiative, since 2000

Skywalk Spittelau, Wien / Vienna (project no. 29)
Bulant & Wailzer
Basis for the project: competition 2004, erected 2007

Urban Platform, Schwechat (project no. 32)
000y0 Architekten
Basis for the project: competition 2006

Stadthalle Vienna – New Building, Hall F (project no. 40)
Dietrich I Untertrifaller Architekten ZT GmbH
Basis for the project: competition 2002, erected 2004 – 2005

Kals Town Centre (project no. 42)
Schneider & Lengauer Architekten
Basis for the project: invitation calling for expert opinion, erected 2000 – 2006