Departments Of Law And Central Administration

DEPARTMENTS OF LAW AND CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION

CRAB Studio

Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel

ARCHITECTS
CRAB Studio

LOCATION
Vienna, Austria

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Sir Peter Cook, Gavin Robotham

PHOTOGRAPHS
Ronald Kreimel

YEAR
2013

CATEGORY
University

Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel

ust completed is a 200 meter long pair of buildings snaking west to east in a series of brightly coloured streaks that cheer up the often grey skies of Vienna’s Prater district.

They fold out to form a series of roof decks, they zig in and out to create ‘sunshine corners’ and are occasionally eaten out to create balconies for smokers or others who are needing a break.

Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel

There are routes under that run from the University courtyard to the Prater Park on the south - diving through the red base.

The building is designed around Cook and Robotham’s strongly held belief (based on many years as University teachers) that a lively and successful college building should have generous and engaging internal spaces that are not just seminar rooms or offices.

But places to ‘hang out’ and possibly encourage you to stay around after class: so these are carved out of the interior and slither around in a similar way to the building as a whole.

Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel

Draped over the exterior is a layer of natural timber louvres that partially deal with sun shading and respond to the woodlands that surround the campus – also acting as staccato foil to the striation of the buildings as a whole. 

Some observers have referred to these as a type of ‘designer stubble’ that male Academics and upwardly mobile young lawyers enjoy.

Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel

The total profile is deliberately inspired by landscape formation (that over time will be infested with vegetation) and by the desire to encourage animation on the decks and all available surfaces.

CRAB STUDIO has also incorporated ‘capsules of quiet’ in the library, ‘sound clouds’ in the seminar rooms with their own undulating mannerisms for chairs and key items of furniture.

Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel

*The new campus of the WU was masterplanned by BUSarchitektur ZT Gmbh and includes buildings by Zaha Hadid Architecture, studio of Hitoshe Abe, Estudio Carme Pinos S.L, NO.MAD Architects and BUSarchitektur ZT Gmbh.

Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel


Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel


Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
© Ronald Kreimel


Departments Of Law And Central Administration
First Floor Plan
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
Ground Floor Plan
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
Second Floor Plan


Departments Of Law And Central Administration
Section
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
Detail
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
Section


Departments Of Law And Central Administration
Sktech
Departments Of Law And Central Administration
Sktech