Culture and Congress Centre

Although this design approach articulates thecompactness of the building complex, on the other hand clearreferences to the urban context are also made. The larger part of thevolume is concentrated in the direct connection to the existing andthen steps down to the small-scale structure to the southeast of theplanning area. The stepping heights help give this part of the townenough light and air, while the mass tends more to respond to thelarge scale of the Osterwiese.

The entire exhibition zone can be separated fromthe other parts by means of a glass sliding wall and its room climatecan also be controlled separately. The exhibition area is flanked onboth sides by storage spaces, the administration offices of theLandesgalerie face onto Ostergassl. Deliveries to the Landesgalerieare made from Ostergassl through a roofed delivery yard that can belocked up.

The existing large staircase is a part of thecirculation system, along with two new staircases and a lift. Fromthe angular foyeryou reach the respective halls from different positions. The figureof the large hall is preserved, the opening to the small hall is madein the south wall and extends across the entire width of the smallhall.

It is intended to make part of the partition wallto the foyer as a mobile wall, which would allow a larger opening tothe foyer/bar area, producing a large coherent events area. The smallhall has a glass rooflight through which it receives daylight –making it particularly suitable for conferences.

The two storeys above the hall level house theadministration areas with their groups of functional spaces. The areafor the State Governor is integrated in this group but has a specialquality as the result of its location. Situated at the striking edgeon Schubertplatz, it offers an all-round view of the surroundings. Inthe internal organisation a foyer with the adjoining meeting areas isinterconnected to the other units. The Governor’s office can bereached from the underground garage by a lift immediately beside it.

Both the extension as well as the adaptation workare carried out in reinforced concrete in accordance with thestructural concept. A perforated metal skin in the form of a backventilated facade is planned as the building’s external envelope.This metal skin also extends in places across the existing facades,at a certain distance from them, like a screen. It generates thevisual unity of the entire ensemble and creates a new and elegantappearance without making any major interventions in the existingfacades.