Vienna Central Station
In February 2017, Swiss architectural practice Theo Hotz Partner Architekten unveiled their new platform covers for Vienna’s Central Station. The undulating steel canopies won an Architizer A+ Award in the Bus and Train Stations category in 2016.
The new sculptural roofs are part of a major overhaul of the station, which is a pivotal hub for the city’s transport network.
The designers envisaged a public transportation hub with a sculptural roof that would function both as a flagship urban project and a landmark for a district in the process of change, with the station also providing the impetus for the further development and the creation of a new municipal park.
Providing a clear iconic identity for the station, the roof comprises a folded plate structure that undulates rhythmically above the five platforms, defining striking interior and exterior spaces.
The juxtaposition between the rise and fall in one direction and the compression and expansion in the other transforms a simple platform canopy into a spectacular roof exuding a strong sense of movement.
Comprising fourteen diamond-shaped segments and five single canopies, the roof extends in an alternating wave pattern over the platforms. Each diamond roof segment consists of a space frame punctured in the centre by a rhombus-shaped skylight.
The staggered arrangement of these linked segments in turn creates diamond-shaped openings on the sides, which are enclosed by a façade of scale-like triangular glass panels to provide protection against the elements.
The angled lines of the soffits reflect those of the folded plate structure above and their triangular surfaces create a striking crystalline form that produces stunning light effects.
Images and content courtesy of Theo Hotz Partner.
Photographs © Roman Bönsch.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
Plumbing and heating for sustainability in new properties
Technical Engineer runs through changes in regulations, innovations in materials, and product systems.
Awareness of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
What CBAM is and what to do about it.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.