Comfortable climate for the spectacular ÖAMTC mobility centre in Vienna

Visitors' eyes are inevitably drawn to the glass façade, which sweeps elegantly around the building. The interior of the new ÖAMTC mobility centre – which was designed by architects Pichler & Traupmann and is the subject of frequent praise – can comfortably accommodate 800 employees while offering space for events, conferences and unique viewpoints for customers. The transparent glass architecture brings together under one roof all the various ÖAMTC offices that were located at different sites up until now. These have now found homes in the office wings that branch out from the large atrium at the centre of the building in the shape of a star. With this new, spectacular building, a landmark was built directly on the tangent on a total gross external area of 27,000 m2  – a place to promote exchange and the creation of a new corporate identity. The geometry and spectacular curved shape precisely meet the requirements of employees and the functions of the building. "The new ÖAMTC mobility centre meets all our demands and was completed on schedule in December 2016," emphasises ÖAMTC Association Director Oliver Schmerold. Alongside the transparent, bright architecture, the indoor climate in particular also promotes the employees' sense of wellbeing.

Non-visible and silent:

The air terminal devices, control units, sound attenuators and fire- and smoke-protection systems were all supplied by the ventilation and air-conditioning specialist TROX Austria. For the architects and building services engineers, it was particularly important to install reliable technology that would suit the room and design parameters. Another factor in the decision to choose TROX Austria was the comprehensive support provided by the manufacturer in the building design from the very early planning stage onwards. A technological leader in the manufacture of components, devices and systems for the ventilation of rooms, TROX works with its customers to develop tailored solutions for every building and its users. An optimal, preferably non-visible integration of building services into the sophisticated architecture as well as quiet and draught-free air conditioning were the main requirements for the ÖAMTC mobility centre. 

"For us, the users of the building, safety and sustainable solutions are paramount. For this reason, we consider ourselves to be an important partner in the design, installation and ongoing operation," said Karl Palmstorfer, CEO of TROX Austria.

For architect Christoph Pichler, the new premises can be compared to a living organism. "While the support structure can be seen as an organic skeleton, the building services work almost entirely behind the scenes to perform the functions of the airways, the bloodstream and the nerves," said Pichler. Due to the complexity of the building project, no beams or shafts could be laid vertically through the building, but are placed three-dimensionally according to the flow of functions and the room and are integrated into the architecture. This is also the case for the pressure ventilation outlets in the 6-storey atrium and the LED-studded rear wall of elevator and building service shafts. The ambitious architecture also demanded special solutions to be found in certain places. For example, the ceiling construction in the event hall required a special solution for the air supply.

For the building contractors of this project, it was particularly important to create a modern and distinctive landmark that would be in line with the company identity and give employees and customers alike a real sense of wellbeing. Optimum functionality and efficiency were also of paramount importance. For this reason, great emphasis was placed on ecological and sustainable economic aspects, and building services played an important role here. A special feature is the geothermal system, which covers about 40 percent of the heating and cooling needs.