Italian Firm Wins Design Competition for Two Vienna Towers

Italy’s Mario Cucinella Architects has won an invitation-only competition to add two multifunctional towers to Vienna, Austria’s skyline, Arch Daily reports. The project consists of two high-rise towers — 120 m and 90 m — with different architectural languages and different purposes, providing the gateway to urban development “Viertel Zwei” in the heart of Vienna. A landscaped canopy serves as a covered walkway between the two buildings. The specific form of this walkway was derived from extensive research with the help of wind and ground comfort consultants, including the decision to contain big circular apertures whose edges protect the spaces below, allowing them to be used all year round. The Grünblick tower, at 120 m tall, was conceptualized as an upwards extension of the surrounding landscape, which includes the sizable Prater Park. The tower establishes a relationship of physical and visual continuity between the landscape and the vertical structure. The 90-m Weitblick Tower, composed mainly of office space, is designed to stand out from the surrounding environment. This tower is designed to achieve ÖGNI/DGNB Platinum certification, whereas the Grünblick aims to achieve Gold Certification.