Nordbahnhof Residential High-Rise / Franz&Sue

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Text description provided by the architects.On the site of the former North Railway Station inVienna’s second district, we have realized our first residential high-rise. By 2025, a new urban quarter with six high-rises as defining cornerstones will be completed here. Part of the former industrial wasteland is preserved as a large, urban wilderness – the “Freie Mitte” (Free Centre). In exchange, the residential towers around its perimeter reach metropolitan heights.A spacious lobby forms the entrance on the ground floor. Residents have access to numerous communal facilities on the first two floors. These include a separate home office area, a large bicycle room with a repair shop and washing area, a wellness area with a sauna and a communal room with a kitchen. A large, green terrace on the roof of the base area, including an outdoor kitchen, offers the opportunity for neighborly outdoor activities.Our project is situated in the northern part of the site, opposite the old water tower and next to the new tram line. At this prominent point, the high rise forms one of the “keystones” in the development of the new quarter. With 21 stories, the building does not quite scrape the skies just yet, but it nonetheless offers its residents an awe-inspiring view – all around the city, in the west to the “Freie Mitte”. A total of 200 flats were being built here.The unique form and façade design of the high-rise doesn’t just look stunning: with the slight twist of the tower and the kink in two main façades, the building opens up towards the wild green spaces. The building stands dynamically and elegantly, with an airy vantage point on the edge of the urban wilderness. For the façade, we drew inspiration from Grandma’s knitted shawls – the balcony fronts alternate in different variations for sun protection and privacy, forming a pattern that resembles knit and purl stitches.