It’s All in the Milk – Not on a Farm

It’s All in the Milk – Not on a Farm

Alpenmilch Logistics Building

Since 1931, the dairy has been around in Salzburg and threatened to burst at the seams due to the positive development during the past few years.

During early childhood, kids living in big cities sometimes have the illusion that the pack of milk standing on the breakfast table every morning, comes right from the cow. Would be nice, huh? In order for our stable food to be available every day, e.g. 2,600 farmers deliver 155 million liters of milk to the Alpenmilch company in Salzburg every year, the latter turning the raw material into milk, cheese, yoghurt and other refined ready-to-eat products. And growing.
Since 1931, the dairy has been around in Salzburg and threatened to burst at the seams due to the positive development during the past few years. The management even thought about moving to the suburbs. However, the management as well as the city wanted to stay inside the city walls, so they solved the situation very unconventionally. Without any further ado, the access road was relocated, warehouse and residential buildings were moved somewhere else, and the rails of a former railroad bed were removed. On the new long premises, the reconstruction and expansion of Alpenmilch along with a new high rack warehouse was ready to get started.

But now came the real thinking, since milk is a sensitive product that goes bad quickly. Production processes are brief and dynamic, and once the cooling chain is interrupted, the batch is of no use anymore. In order to organize daily handling, you need a volume of 80 x 20 meters of length and width as well as about 24 meters of height – a mass threatening to crush the heterogeneous residential environment split up into numerous parts. The only help here is having another cup of milk, having another think coming and tightening the screws somewhere else, e.g. moving the high rack warehouse underground, allowing to switch quickly and without interrupting the cooling chain via a subterranean tunnel to the already existing cheese dairy.

Or separating the products that require cooling from the other products – packings etc. – storing of which calls for other logistical methods. Even the place where trucks are unloaded should be well-thought-through – people living nearby are not supposed to be harmed by noise, exhaust gases and bad smell – with 100 deliveries per day.
The logical consequence is relocating the production process and possible annoyances to the area’s inner courtyard, and buffering the surrounding houses with an office zone at the façade. And since an 80 meter façade shouldn’t look dull and remind of industrial architecture, the artist Peter Sandbichler was asked to design the partly transparent metal façade as an over-sized piece of art within architecture. Any similarities to technology, hygiene and automation are wanted. Even a little shop has found its place at the front part – including a cow and new address: Milchstraße (Milky Way)!

Project details

Architect:

gharakhanzadeh sandbichler architekten zt gmbh, Vienna, Austria
SHIBUKAWA EDER Architects, Vienna, Austria

Status:

Competition: 2005, Completion: 2010

Size:

Floor area: 6,188 m2
Bebaute Fläche 3.523 m2
Umbauter Raum 57.293 m3

Constructor:

Alpenmilch Salzburg GesmbH, Salzburg, Austria

Comments

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admin's picture
admin 14. June 2011 - 22:32

as vakinhas ficaram muito a' frente...coloridas...lol...;))

admin's picture
admin 14. June 2011 - 22:50

lindas las vaquitas!!

admin's picture
admin 15. June 2011 - 5:44

Q amito...

admin's picture
admin 15. June 2011 - 7:52

very innovative but at the same time dramatic design...

johnlloydcruz's picture
johnlloydcruz 27. March 2014 - 6:33

That is actually a good idea. Having a good production area is a plus to an organization to maintain proper sanitary procedures. Thanks for the share. -iphone background

jennacatlin4's picture
jennacatlin4 3. June 2015 - 14:29

i would say he has done a really good job. Airport Car parking at Gatwick

kevinosbern's picture
kevinosbern 15. July 2015 - 6:35

Are you telling me that the building that I see here is not some office space and is actually a warehouse? It is really hard to believe so and I think the architects and the town planning committee do deserves a great applause for planning something like this. windows live mail error id 0x800ccc0e

valyspin's picture
valyspin 25. July 2015 - 11:27

Every building needs maintenance, therefore, the owner should find the best wholesale janitorial supplies to have the best products for cleaning every floor. Keeping it clean and neat will prove a good management and this building really needs to be in this way because here the milk is processed.

valyspin's picture
valyspin 5. September 2015 - 15:06

These days you can easily transform something into a business. Some companies try to find often what the client wants and they

valyspin's picture
valyspin 5. September 2015 - 15:09

These days you can easily transform something into a business. Some companies try to find often what the client wants and they post meeting survey questions to obtain the right and accurate answers. There are many other ways to obtain these answers, but this way is the best.

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