urban design concept
aspern, vienna’s seestadt, evokes by its very name the idea of living and working by the lake, a district where green space plays a decisive role. to the northwest of the site designated for the federal school building lies directly the hannah arendt park, and to the northeast, maria trapp square. a key requirement for the competition site is the inclusion of a public passage on the southern edge of the property. these are the main urban design parameters underlying this design. based on the concept of the green city, the federal school building is conceived as a flat, terraced green landscape. it becomes a walkable educational hill. all clusters of lower secondary (sekundarstufe 1) and all home bases of upper secondary (sekundarstufe 2) have direct access to the landscaped outdoor areas, offering a generous variety of spaces for recreation, play, and outdoor learning.
urbanistically, the building forms edges toward maria-trapp square, slightly set back from street 11 and the new passage. it is oriented with its clusters, home bases, afternoon care, and all outdoor spaces toward hannah-arendt park. the required public passage connects the southern corner of hannah arendt park with ella lingens street. due to the generous usability of terrace areas as additional outdoor spaces, no building is planned south of the public passage. the ground floor of the educational hill opens to maria-trapp square, where the large, covered schoolyard and main entrance are located. from this forecourt, the entrance leads into the open hall – the indoor campus. at this interface between public space and school are the general areas for afternoon care, administration, and the department of economics and informatics. this open hall connects the main entrance from maria-trapp square with a second entrance from the public passage and is simultaneously oriented toward the outdoor spaces facing hannah-arendt park. for optimal lighting of the compact building, an open space – the school woodland – is cut into its center, around which the library, dining area, and multipurpose room are oriented. from the public passage, materials and meals are delivered (short route to the kitchen) and school waste is removed.
aspern, vienna’s seestadt, evokes by its very name the idea of living and working by the lake, a district where green space plays a decisive role. to the northwest of the site designated for the federal school building lies directly the hannah arendt park, and to the northeast, maria trapp square. a key requirement for the competition site is the inclusion of a public passage on the southern edge of the property. these are the main urban design parameters underlying this design. based on the concept of the green city, the federal school building is conceived as a flat, terraced green landscape. it becomes a walkable educational hill. all clusters of lower secondary (sekundarstufe 1) and all home bases of upper secondary (sekundarstufe 2) have direct access to the landscaped outdoor areas, offering a generous variety of spaces for recreation, play, and outdoor learning.
urbanistically, the building forms edges toward maria-trapp square, slightly set back from street 11 and the new passage. it is oriented with its clusters, home bases, afternoon care, and all outdoor spaces toward hannah-arendt park. the required public passage connects the southern corner of hannah arendt park with ella lingens street. due to the generous usability of terrace areas as additional outdoor spaces, no building is planned south of the public passage. the ground floor of the educational hill opens to maria-trapp square, where the large, covered schoolyard and main entrance are located. from this forecourt, the entrance leads into the open hall – the indoor campus. at this interface between public space and school are the general areas for afternoon care, administration, and the department of economics and informatics. this open hall connects the main entrance from maria-trapp square with a second entrance from the public passage and is simultaneously oriented toward the outdoor spaces facing hannah-arendt park. for optimal lighting of the compact building, an open space – the school woodland – is cut into its center, around which the library, dining area, and multipurpose room are oriented. from the public passage, materials and meals are delivered (short route to the kitchen) and school waste is removed.
educational landscape
the indoor campus at the intersection of the two entrances serves as a space for all types of events, a meeting point for all students, inviting sitting and observing, serving as a space for relaxation, play, and learning, and enabling clear orientation within the building. the spatial design of the indoor campus is intended to support the spirit of the school: openness, clarity, legibility, connectivity, generosity, and light-filled friendliness. during the warm season, the dining hall, multipurpose room, library, and workshops can open to the covered outdoor areas, allowing eating or relaxing outside and working in outdoor studios.
cluster
the educational units of lower secondary (sekundarstufe 1) are clearly structured on the first floor. four classrooms each connect to the open learning zone, the collection room, wardrobe, and a small restroom unit to form a cluster. the classrooms of all four clusters face the adjacent outdoor spaces toward hannah-arendt park. the learning zones open onto smaller, covered terraces, and large roof sheds extend the vertical space while providing optimal lighting. sliding walls allow classrooms within a cluster to open fluidly to the learning zones, and glass elements enable teachers to oversee the learning zones from adjacent spaces. all classrooms have direct access to the immediately adjacent outdoor area.
home bases
on the second floor are the home bases for upper secondary (sekundarstufe 2). all home bases are oriented toward the large outdoor area facing hannah-arendt park and have direct access to it, structured with sun-protected learning theaters, play lawns, a hill with trees, and paved zones.
daylight, balconies
special attention is given to glare-free daylighting. 1.5-meter-wide balconies ensure glare-free illumination of school units and prevent summer overheating. additionally, they expand escape routes and allow very easy facade cleaning.
the indoor campus at the intersection of the two entrances serves as a space for all types of events, a meeting point for all students, inviting sitting and observing, serving as a space for relaxation, play, and learning, and enabling clear orientation within the building. the spatial design of the indoor campus is intended to support the spirit of the school: openness, clarity, legibility, connectivity, generosity, and light-filled friendliness. during the warm season, the dining hall, multipurpose room, library, and workshops can open to the covered outdoor areas, allowing eating or relaxing outside and working in outdoor studios.
cluster
the educational units of lower secondary (sekundarstufe 1) are clearly structured on the first floor. four classrooms each connect to the open learning zone, the collection room, wardrobe, and a small restroom unit to form a cluster. the classrooms of all four clusters face the adjacent outdoor spaces toward hannah-arendt park. the learning zones open onto smaller, covered terraces, and large roof sheds extend the vertical space while providing optimal lighting. sliding walls allow classrooms within a cluster to open fluidly to the learning zones, and glass elements enable teachers to oversee the learning zones from adjacent spaces. all classrooms have direct access to the immediately adjacent outdoor area.
home bases
on the second floor are the home bases for upper secondary (sekundarstufe 2). all home bases are oriented toward the large outdoor area facing hannah-arendt park and have direct access to it, structured with sun-protected learning theaters, play lawns, a hill with trees, and paved zones.
daylight, balconies
special attention is given to glare-free daylighting. 1.5-meter-wide balconies ensure glare-free illumination of school units and prevent summer overheating. additionally, they expand escape routes and allow very easy facade cleaning.
- location:
- wien, austria
- architecture:
- fasch&fuchs.architekt:innen
- team architecture:
- robert breinesberger, stefanie schwertassek, erwin winkler
- model making:
- patrick klammer
- rendering:
- aberjung gmbh
- photography:
- zt hinterleitner
- competition:
- 2013
see project