Two under one roof

It is not uncommon for public buildings to have to meet a wide variety of requirements. However, the bar was set particularly high for this project in the Lower Austrian municipality of Kirchberg am Wagram: the roof of the new building, which replaced the old school gymnasium, was to accommodate sports and recreation rooms for the new secondary school as well as rehearsal rooms for the local music club. The task was made even more difficult by the limited scope for the size of the building: the height was defined by the two-storey school, the floor plan by the adjacent sports field to the north and the avenue to the south with its old lime trees. The municipality found the ideal partner for this complex project in Kirchberg architect Laurenz Vogel.

Space miracle

The team of architects solved the challenges posed by the room layout by lowering the gymnasium below ground level and thus gaining an additional floor. A glass front brings plenty of daylight into the interior - not only for the children in gymnastics lessons, but also for the afternoon care rooms, which are enthroned above the gymnasium like an audience box. The various lines of sight allow views of the green surroundings and lively communication between the children who are romping, playing and learning and who can access the new building directly from their school via a staircase. The musicians, on the other hand, enter the building at the opposite end and from there reach the spacious rehearsal hall, which offers enough space for the 60 members of the music association and their instruments. Rehearsals can be listened to from the gallery, while the adjoining lounge area is provided with daylight by an atrium.

Shades of Grey

The exterior view of the new building is spectacular, its straight lines contrasting with the diagonal structure of the suspended wooden façade. The changing arrangement and the varying spaces between the larch wood slats set the façade in motion, as it were: Although the wood is uniformly coated in the same dark gray shade, the appearance changes constantly in different shades of gray depending on the viewing angle and incidence of light. The diversity of the façade points to the wide range of possible uses inside, and it seems to say: everything is in motion here - in music as well as in the development of the schoolchildren. At the same time, the ingenious design also proves to be highly functional: thanks to the coating with ADLER's Lignovit Platin pre-greying glaze, the larch wood retains an even appearance over the long term - also thanks to the perfect execution by the coater Mareiner Holz and the timber constructor Lieb Bau. While some of the windows are exposed, the curtain façade on others provides discreet privacy and shade on hot summer days.

Design keyboard

The interior walls of the music rehearsal hall echo the diagonal structure of the façade and, together with the coffered ceiling, ensure excellent acoustics. Wood also creates a friendly atmosphere in all other areas: from the ash floors and windows to the silver fir wall and ceiling elements installed by the Stadler joinery. Coatings from ADLER guarantee lasting protection for this natural beauty: the ash interior doors were painted with Aduro Vento by PSP Holz, the walls and ceiling are protected against cracking and joint formation thanks to the HASSLACHER Group's Exzellent surface, and the environmentally friendly interior glaze Lignovit Interior UV 100 protects the light-colored silver fir from yellowing. A harmonious material concept and perfect execution, high functionality and exciting aesthetics: with the project in Kirchberg am Wagram, Laurenz Vogel Architekten play the design keyboard with virtuosity and demonstrate the diverse possibilities of modern timber construction.