culturgarage aspern

program of the competition brief
the cultural project Kulturgarage is intended to be a shaping factor and catalyst for the emerging neighborhood, providing a basic cultural infrastructure even at an accessible level and generating new impulses. the Kulturgarage should serve as a public-facing venue that actively engages the exterior space, unifying interior and exterior experiences, and initiating “processes” outside the daily routine.

general considerations
the foyer, as the pre-area for the main event spaces, is the critical interface for achieving the objectives defined by the client. it naturally connects interior and exterior, which requires maximum transparency and a level alignment with the forecourt. large operable elements blur the boundaries between inside and outside and create the desired outward presence. minor adjustments to the existing ground and basement floor plan improve the foyer situation. the prefabricated multi-story parking garage remains unchanged.

foyer
by relocating the rehearsal stage to the basement-level pause foyer in the current design, the initially formulated objectives are met. this creates a spacious, open foyer directly extending from the entrance plaza with multiple interior–exterior connections. the new foyer receives ample daylight and visually extends toward Sonnenallee.
relocating the rehearsal stage eliminates the need for the side access corridors to the main hall, allowing the foyer to be expanded toward the forecourt. ingress and egress for large events can now occur directly from the foyer into the main hall. although the west façade is not part of the competition brief, an optional measure is suggested to enhance the overall foyer area:
by setting back the ground- and basement-level façade from the property line, this façade could be made transparent, significantly improving daylight access and allowing views into and out of the foyer (see also fire safety concept). the bar is located near the entrance, with the dining area extending onto the forecourt during warmer months. a generous connection to ground-level office and studio spaces in the adjacent residential building ensures networking between event activities and administration.

rehearsal stage
the rehearsal stage, now located in the lower part of the foyer, can be opened to the foyer via mobile wall elements. optional opening of the west façade would allow the event area to receive natural light during exhibitions, workshops, readings, etc., whether the rehearsal stage is open or closed.

event hall
the event hall is designed as a black box for acoustic and lighting reasons. a flat gallery at ground-floor level is impractical due to visibility issues, so the gallery is equipped with a fixed tiered seating area.
to ensure optimal sightlines for lower rows, a telescopic rising tribune is installed. this unifies the large hall and avoids a separation into two zones — the raised gallery and a lower-level flat seating area. for standing events, the telescopic seating can be retracted quickly. for cinema events, simple heavy curtains allow flexible room sizes on the gallery or lower areas depending on screen placement.

material concept
the main objective of the concept is to optimize spatial quality and maximize transparency between interior and exterior, improving daylight throughout the foyer. the focus is always on the cultural program, with optimal acoustics and sightlines. curtains or mobile walls create flexible room sizes adapted to visitor numbers and event types. given the limited budget, high-end design is omitted; the “raw but refined” aesthetic with unspackled, simply painted walls and ceilings conveys accessibility and adaptability, with a workshop or studio character. the main focus is the event, not the interior design. the black box of the main event hall is kept dark, with black-painted walls and ceilings, freely suspended acoustic panels, and dark furniture. the event itself shines in the light, while the room and its design recede into the background. in contrast, the foyer has bright surfaces, optimized for daylight, and is inviting; in the evening, it is illuminated with artificial lighting. furnishings provide colorful accents.

concept and visual design
four criteria guide the concept and visual design of the façade panels:
sustainability
interactivity
cultural critique
anti-aesthetics

the concept envisions reusing large-format façade tarps, typically employed in building restorations, printed with advertising, exhibition announcements, or façade simulations.
the tarps are cut to the size of the façade elements, cleaned with high-pressure steam, and stretched over the steel frames of the panel system. arrangement follows an artistic layout reminiscent of abstract mega-manga image rows. reuse is driven not only by cost considerations but also by sustainability. the semi-transparent tarps with fragmented advertising, cultural, and architectural prints are backlit at night by car headlights in the parking lot, creating an interactive, cinematic light effect.
fragmented, rotated, upside-down logos, oversized depictions of small historical paintings, and fractured historicist façade simulations are intended as cultural critique. by repurposing a common façade-hugging technique from restoration projects, the design resists mere beautification through anti-aesthetic intervention. the lowest row of façade tarps displays event advertising for Kulturgarage, graphically distinguished from the other panels (e.g., exclusively black and white).

curved street space – Sonnenallee
the curve of Sonnenallee is difficult to reproduce in the optimal parking layout for the garage; a detached façade would be structurally complex and costly. a row of fast-growing, tall poplars (diameter up to 5 m, height 20–25 m) follows the curve, forming a natural green filter between the garage and Sonnenallee.

fire safety and escape routes
the mixed-use of the building (event spaces/parking) is addressed in the fire safety plan through separate escape routes and fire compartments. for the parking garage’s open façade, much of the exterior wall remains unclosed for smoke and heat extraction. sufficient separation distances prevent fire spread to adjacent buildings or plots (e.g., setback of the west glass façade). additional fire safety parameters (fire resistance, escape routes, building materials, etc.) have been considered for overall building safety.

structural concept
the starting point for the structural concept was to optimize spatial quality in the event area without fundamentally altering the planned construction of the two floors. the parking deck remains unchanged.
following the existing structural system, adjustments are made only in parts of the basement and ground floors. to create a generous foyer, the ceiling support grid on the west side of the ground floor is adjusted from 7.70 m × (5.00 + 6.25 + 5.00 m) to 7.70 m × (5.00 + 8.75 + 2.50 m). combined with the proposed façade setback, interior support rows are reduced from three to one. in the east section, the same goal is achieved by extending the regular ceiling grid of the event hall to the western building edge.
another intervention to create a spacious, appealing layout for the cultural floors is shortening the “black box” in the northeast building section by four cross axes (10.20 m), from 41.00 m to 30.80 m. this reduction is feasible in terms of structural stability (earthquakes, etc.) due to the sufficient remaining reinforced concrete walls and the ability to extend bracing elements from the parking levels to the foundation.
at the ceiling offset (axis D), a reinforced concrete beam (bottom + topping) supports the two lowest parking deck slabs. span: 2 × 7.70 m. other structural elements remain unaffected by these adaptations.

façades
façade coverings are held by slender, angled steel frames attached to the parking deck beams and interconnected with steel tubes. the tubes are mounted in guides that allow easy replacement of the coverings.