Wertinvest
Roof Extension
Arkan Zeytinoglu
- Planning Commencement: 2005
- Construction Start: April 2007
- Completion: Dezember 2008
COCKPIT ABOVE VIENNA
With futuristic elegance, architect DI Arkan Zeytinoglu crowns the headquarters of WertInvest — the Gründerzeit building on Vienna's Mariahilfer Strasse/Getreidemarkt corner. In 2008, Zeytinoglu's design set an urban signal and established new standards for rooftop expansions in Vienna.
The starting point was the client's desire to reflect the design and quality standards of the company. WertInvest specializes in unique real estate projects, revitalizing properties with historical substance combined with modern architecture.
Zeytinoglu didn't just build a corner tower — he shaped a roof ridge that corresponds to the geometry of the existing corner solution. Its design concept pays homage to aviation. The roof solution, where the roof surfaces intersect at the crossing of the two streets, resulted from the consistent continuation of the existing floor plan geometry, namely a tower-like solution that bends into the roof slope.
The appearance of the building was by no means destroyed with this bold addition. On the contrary, it emphasizes the magnificent character of the house. Initially a topic of hot debate, the architecture now functions as a distinctive landmark at the corner, where Vienna's largest shopping street opens up to the Zweierlinie, MQ, and the museums.
THE HOUSE WITH THE BOMB DAMAGE
The building, planned or built during the Wilhelminian-era, originally had a richly decorated facade and a tower-like structure at the northeast corner. After severe bomb damage in World War II, the house received a "savings facade," completely devoid of decoration and structured only by the remaining window areas. Over the years, the ground floor developed the typical facade mix of various business portals on Mariahilfer Strasse. The renovation makes the house appear as a unified whole once again. The ground floor area has been appropriately designed to meet the needs of today's business portals on a shopping street.
Balancing Privacy and Exchange
Office locations demand places of constant availability, a clear and open spatial design with free access for everyone, as well as the necessary emotional hideaways.
TRANSPARENT DYNAMICS
Transparency and the spatial interplay of glass surfaces and mirrors in the offices create openness and closeness, connecting and separating the various personal work areas in a subtle manner. Curtains offer the possibility to make the workplace more intimate and protected. In correspondence with the outer skin, the interior is also considered. Horizontal, fast, yet comfortable. The lightness of the space contrasts with warm, natural materials and colors to provide the necessary grounding. Views of light axes define flexibly designed offices, where meetings as well as cozy lounge conversations can take place. The furnishings remain discreet, allowing the space to unfold.
CEILING ART BY MEGUMI ITO
The ceiling in the reception area, regularly interwoven with metal strips, symbolizes water and waves. "My intention is to support the ever-calm and regular success of the company," explains the artist. The play with the reflection of daylight should also play a role, as well as emphasizing the representative character. One floor higher, Megumi Ito has also designed a light ceiling. A total of 9,000 interconnected copper rings form a regular, indirectly illuminated ceiling landscape. The ring, as a symbol of belonging, is intended to connect the offices and the people working in them. Copper acts purifying in terms of Yin and Yang, creating balance and a certain grounding in contrast to the dynamic architecture.
STAGED NATURE BY BERND HOCHWARTNER
The wooden decks are multifunctional, serving as furniture for sitting, lying, leaning — both as a sight and sound barrier. Mainly native shrubs, such as pines, birches, and shadbush, were planted, underplanted with vegetative carpets. Nature leaves its traces throughout the building, from the entrance through the courtyard, from the winter garden into the office spaces, up to the roof. The concept of the abstracted inner garden is reflected in the form of greened light shafts.