Pädagogische Hochschule Niederösterreich, Baden (AT)

Creating space

Konzept

As a pilot project of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the University College of Teacher Education, with its modern networked structure, combines various facilities that include a primary school for gaining practical experience, a university, a canteen, and an existing sports hall. The campus is surrounded by the town of Baden, a renowned spa resort whose villas and gardens, thermal springs and wine-growing regions stand for historical singularity and quality.

The concept for the open space builds on this, creating clearly defined exterior spaces that reinforce the cross-shaped basic arrangement of the buildings around a central plaza. The primary motif is the central open space, which reflects the light, the sky, the facades, the park, and the people. Inside and outside merge on the campus square, where the sky can be experienced through the circular opening overhead.

The interplay of the forecourt, campus square and outdoor spaces creates an open and inviting university campus. By simply rotating and shifting the defining edges of the space, the dynamics of moving from inside to outside are underscored and – despite confined conditions – high-quality outdoor spaces with a positive atmosphere are created. Because the budget for the open space was drastically reduced, the outdoor premises as implemented conform only fragmentarily to the designs by WES.