New York in Viennaby Eva Konrad | 24.11.2011

DC-Tower

It’s going to be worth enjoying Sushi, Burgers oder Bratwurst on the 58th floor of DC-Tower. 200 meters above the Austrian capital, between starters and main course, you will be able to have a look across the former imperial city at your feet.

This is still a long way off. However, it’s for sure that it will provide you this view across Vienna. At the beginning of 2013 things will be about to get rolling: With an overall height of 220 m, 61 floors and a freely accessible restaurant on the 58th and the 59th floor, every visitor of DC-Tower will take a little New York skyline atmosphere back home.

Hotel, Offices, Restaurant and Skylofts

Spread across an area of 72,700m², various usages are contained inside the DC skyscraper, designed by Dominique Perrault. As a tourist, it will probably be tempting to you get a room at the Sol Melia hotel. By installing a branch inside DC-Tower, the Spanish hotel chain will open its first hotel in Austria and thus occupy the first 16 floors of the slender skyscraper. If the visitor has more financial resources available, he will also be able to rent or even buy one of the skylofts at the top floors. The building’s other floors are scheduled and designed to be used as offices.

Small Basis - constructive Challenge

The building is a classic skyscraper. The supporting framework planned by ARGE Tragwerksplanung BGS + GH consists of a static active core inside the building. Ferro-concrete and compound beams support the ferro-concrete ceilings. What’s noticeable here is the little floor area this 220 meter high tower is going to be standing on, this also was the biggest challenge for the engineers. A 35 meter special deep foundation brought final stability to the static system.

Twins torn apart

The façades, on the other hand, are not going to take on any static jobs and thus can be realized as steel-glass element façades. They are going to turn DC-Tower into an eye-catcher within the new Donau City quarter.

However, the headstrong façade concept with three smooth and one rough side only becomes understandable when looking at the overall concept made by French architect Dominique Perrault. Perrault’s initial idea was to have the towers as twins, which made him win the competition back in 2002. A tower with a height of 220 meter along with one of 160 meters were supposed to dominate the Vienna skyline. Initial plannings were based on a completion of the building in 2007, however, things were delayed due to difficulties such as the economic crisis. Finally, the first tower, called DC-Tower 1, was to be started on June 17, 2010, completion date was scheduled for the beginning of 2013.

The construction of the second tower will begin after the completion of the first. Only then Dominique Perrault’s basic idea will come to life. The towers look as if they used to be one in the beginning, but torn apart in the middle. As a testimony of this virtual event two sculptures remained, each with three smooth sides and a rough area, the separating.

A new Landmark for Vienna

This way, in a distant future, the two towers will be waiting for coming together again in the Donau City quarter. With this exciting façade composition, their slenderness and still existing presence, DC-Tower 1+2 will be the future landmark of Vienna. Not only in terms of height, but also regarding elegance they are going to outclass all surrounding structures.