Virtual Experience

The body of the museum acts as a symbolic element within the urban ensemble of the southern end of the historic centre of Mainz, where it functions as an eye-catcher and sound absorber. The museum and the two-storey atrium structure grow skywards from the topographically designed base. The shell of the building forms a transitional space between inside and out. The split levels of the museum are arranged vertically and connected via a continuous circulation space. The display areas are executed free of columns, which increases flexibility and permits the realisation of a range of exhibition concepts.

The University of Applied Arts Vienna is a forward-looking think tank with an international reputation. The existing ensemble is to be comprehensively reorganised, extended and opened up – to both itself and the wider city. In reference to the spatial qualities of the ensemble that has developed over many years, the “Vertical Forum” is added as both an open spatial continuum and an element that combines the late nineteenth-century structure with the loft structure of the 1960s. This Vertical Forum acts as a meeting space and interface between the various functional areas and is the communicative heart of the university. It contains the entrée with the refectory, Porter’s lodge and event space and acts as a vertical connection that takes the form of a generous spiral between the lecture rooms in the basement and the library that hovers high above. The objective is that visitors enter the university at the heart of things, immersing themselves in the dynamic cosmos of the institution and the atmosphere of “freethinking”, while the vibrancy of the university radiates visibly out into the surrounding city.

The idea is to place a horizontal roof across the topographically highly structured property. The roof extends over the interior and exterior of the restaurant, creating a transparent space flooded with light below it. The functional units are located in a compactly organized base construction that directly connects to the existing topography, becoming part of the landscape. The goal is to conceive of the restaurant building as the living heart of IST Austria, providing manifold atmospheric qualities – shifting daylight, an outlook, transparent views, a connection to the campus – and diverse uses for guests in the indoor and outdoor areas. It should act as a culinary centre of IST Austria, with a distinctive shape opening to the surroundings and supporting the future-oriented nature of the institute and campus.