Berger+Parkkinen

..Portfolio

The Ice Sports Arena
1994, Vienna, Austria

At the end of the eighties, Vienna decided to build a new ice-rink with a separated training rink and the required facilities to run the World Championship in ice hockey 1995.

In 1989 an open competition was organized. Out of 72 competition entries the proposal of the team Alfred Berger, Werner Krismer and Sepp Müller came out as the winning proposal.

Located on the Dr.Adolf-Schäfer Platz the new ice-rink is next to the end-stop of the underground line U1. This situation provides a dense network of public transportation well as parking for 500 cars.

Corresponding to the position the ice-rink defines the north edge of an urban void, which is escorted 300 meters to the east by the U1 subway.

Generosity, clearness and transparency determine the architecture of the whole complex. The most significant example is the main event hall. It is surrounded by glass walls on all four sides. Coming along the entrance ramp the visitor obtains a view through the whole building. The freestanding, cylindrical cash desks do not build up a rigid border. They appear like a filter on the way inside the hall. The exterior flows into the hall. Inside and outside mix up. The visitor gains the experience, that he can have a look at the sports ground and to the outside from nearly every point inside the hall at the same time. Simultaneously the happening inside the hall will be shown to the outside. The event becomes part of the urban experience.

In spite of the size the building has a very differentiated scale. The lowest part of the high glass facades is transparent, to keep the visible contact. Above the glass is frosted, a mild diffused light fills the space.

The concrete grand stands conceal the entrance foyer like a canopy. The dynamic formed supporting beam of the stands lowers from the uppermost stair to the height of an outstretched hand.

The roof is bent downwards the sports ground, reaching it's lowest level over the axis of the ice-rink. The center is accentuated - while the confines stay open and transparent. The steel truss on the exterior suspends the roof as like a wing over the space.

The second ice-rink serves for training purpose to free the main hall for events. Concentration and reduction determine the building. The roof is formed like a half ellipse. This concave tun contrasts the convex shaped roof of the main hall. The training hall with its closed appearance opens up to the passers-by at the front side.

Back to Portfolio