Museum of the History of Austria

Competition, MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, 2024

completed in collaboration with Barozzi Veiga and Eidos Architektur

The planning of the new building for the Museum of Austrian History, located in one of the courtyards of the MuseumsQuartier, requires engagement with concepts such as heritage, monument, preservation, and urban landscape. For us, however, this primarily means designing architecture that creates continuity with the existing site, conveys a sense of belonging, and at the same time reveals something new and unexpected. Therefore, the project’s central premise is to become an integral part of the MuseumsQuartier ensemble. This ensemble is characterized by a remarkable understanding of geometry, symmetry, and proportion, both in its exterior and interior spaces. However, its outstanding feature is its compositional simplicity. The new volume of the Museum of Austrian History interprets these characteristics in a contemporary way. It continues the tradition of the old stable courtyard by creating a simple, three-zoned volume that naturally integrates into the ensemble while simultaneously transforming it with the arcaded terrace on the roof. The terrace on the top level lightens the composition of the ensemble and gives the building in the courtyard the right proportion. Viewed from a distance, the terrace accentuates the volume and provides the museum with the necessary presence. Additionally, it transfers the idea of public space from the entrance area to the conclusion of the museum tour. Visiting the Museum of Austrian History thus becomes an experience, where one walks through foyers and galleries while enjoying views of the urban ensemble and some of the most scenic elements of Vienna. The museum’s opening to public space also shapes the design of the ground floor. The location of the museum offers a unique opportunity to activate public space through the new volume and the historic building. The foyer and welcome area make the museum an extroverted building that opens both to Mariahilfer Straße and to the inner courtyard. These two areas, which represent a continuous connection, open to the city and integrate the courtyard into the museum. This way, the new and the existing have equal significance and enter into a dialogue that defines the museum as a unified whole.

Open Space Concept

For the monastery courtyard, a better overview and a special place for the new House of History is planned. On the one hand, the new functions must meet the needs of a representative forecourt and access to the new building, and on the other hand, they must accommodate the existing passage and leisure functions. All plant containers will be removed, and the existing trees will be transplanted to other locations under more suitable conditions. As a replacement and in keeping with the new significance, several atmospheric plant and shrub islands are proposed as inlays in the courtyard. The plant islands can also serve as part of the surface drainage. With few but long-lasting and climate-adapted solitary shrubs, a mindful and contemplative space is to be created in the nearly 600m² monastery courtyard.