Central Garage Upper Austria, Building Project Photos, News, Design Images

Central Garage Upper Austria : Architecture

Architectural Development in Austria design by Caramel Architekten

21 July 2009

Upper Austria / Ansfelden, Austria

Date built: 2006

Design: Caramel Architekten

Central Garage Upper Austria Building
photo : Hertha Hurnaus

Central Garage Upper Austria

Project Description:

The plan for the garage and office building for the state government of Upper Austria resulted from a limited open design competition in 2002 in which Caramel took first place.

Although the organizer’s brief called for a linear alignment of the functional units, Caramel arranged the main functional units in a U-configuration around a transparent covered interior yard. Situated in the west wing are the two-level office building as well as the employees’ changing rooms and washrooms; directly adjacent to these are the special-service shops, e.g. the sandblasting and painting booths.

Along the front of the complex is the two-level warehouse, which connects to the east garage, a 20-meter wide hall that can be driven into from both sides and allows daylight to enter through glass-reinforced plastic doors. The office wing lies at the far side of the garage hall area at the front of the works yard.

The building as a whole unfolds outward along its length, emerging as a gentle slope from the terrain and rejoining it in its imaginary lengthwise projection, in the 72-meter-long shed roof.

operation workshop building operation workshop building operation workshop building
photo : Hertha Hurnaus

Construction+Materials:

With the exception of a number of warehouses and fire protection walls, the building was built using a three-row, very efficient steel-frame construction method. The construction deadline of roughly 18 months was met despite a harsh winter by using mass-produced, prefabricated steel beams and columns. A total of 367 tons of steel were used. The largest spans of 20 m were made possible by employing 1.60-meter-high plate girders.

The materiality of the metal is emphasized by the application of micaceous iron oxide paint and contrasts sharply with the translucent glass-reinforced plastic door elements and glazed surfaces.

The contrasts between the different materials in color as well as in haptic quality are a striking feature of the architecture; one notices them in many places inside and outside the building.

The 24 glass-reinforced plastic doors are positioned between the fixed glazing and set in semicircular doorframes. Like the roof and the closed façade, the doorframes are composed of a black synthetic membrane (EVA). This gives the building its consistent homogeneous appearance; the rivets holding the façade in place reinforce the impression of glossy plasticity.

The works yard also profits from the steel construction. The 6 x 20 m spaces are covered by two-layer pneumatic panels (arch rise: 1.25 m), which keep their form through an internal air pressure of 0.05 bars (the air pressure of tires is roughly 1.9 bars).

The pneumatic panels, which are made of a 0.25 mm thick translucent ETFE membrane, support loads of 14 t, with a max. load capacity of 30 t.

The matter-of-fact and industrial vernacular of the building’s interior is intentional, making use of only a few materials, e.g. steel and glass.

With the exception of the bright green washrooms, the color scheme tends to keep a low profile, sticking mainly to white and anthracite.

The new central garage gives form to its structure-less surroundings and creates an identity and modernity that extends well past the walls of the building itself.

Central Garage Upper Austria images / information from Caramel Architekten

Central Garage Upper Austria – Building Information

Architects: Caramel Architekten ZT – Gmbh
Günter Katherl, Martin Haller, Ulrich Aspetsberger

Assistant: Alexa Zahn

Client: Land OÖ

Contact Person: Bernhard Haider

Structural Engineering: h+w statik
Mr. Luger

Building Services Design: Allprojekt
Ms. Tobrmann

Contractors: Fa Traussner (builder)
Fa Haslinger (steel construction)
Fa Aquarex (membrane façades and roofs, pneumatic panels)
Fa Payreder (blacksmith)
Fa Peiniger (flooring)
Fa Supanz (technical equipment for automotive garages)

Competition: 2002 – 1st prize

Start of Construction : 05/2005

Completion: 10/2006

Photos & Credits: Hertha Hurnaus
hehu@hurnaus.com
Köstlergasse 3/9
A-1060 Vienna
tel./fax: +43/1/5235064 mobile: +43/699/10441733

Key Data

Building Volume: approx. 25,800 m³

Developed Area: approx. 4,400 m² (of that area 3,350 m² building + 1,050 m² yard)

Usable Area: approx. 4,050 m²

Number of Levels: garage: one level
office: two levels

Room Height: garage: 6.00 – 8.90 m,
office + break areas: 2.50 – 4.10 m

Main Uses:

” Two-level office building with break areas and restrooms for 65 employees
” Automotive garage consisting of nine areas with three large mechanics’ pits, vehicle hoists, and a brake inspection stand, usable area: 1,335 m², room height: 7.20 – 8.90 m
” Supplementary shop bays (blacksmith and tinsmith, mechanic’s shop, apprentice’s shop, electrician’s shop, parts shop)
” Special service shops: sandblasting booth and paint booth, usable area: 200 m²
” Warehouse areas, usable area: 1,053 m²
” Canopied open space as shop area, usable area: 1,162 m²
” Canopied open space for auctions, usable area: 282 m²
” Canopied works yard

Construction:
Garage hall construction using prefabricated, mass-produced steel beams on steel columns.
Office wing construction as an independent two-level structure.
Open spaces are canopied using a light steel or pneumatic construction method.

Materials:
Roofing/closed façades: insulated panels EVA synthetic membrane
Translucent exterior walls/doors: GRP (glass-reinforced plastic), insulated glazing
Works yard canopy: two-layered, ETFE-membrane air panels, approx. 6 m x 20 m

Location: Ansfelden, Austria, central Europe

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