DC Tower 1, the tallest tower in Vienna, Austria, is now open. Designed by Dominique Perrault, this tower is one of two; the second is still under construction.
The building contains apartments, a hotel, a restaurant, and offices. But its main feature, aside from its height, is its dramatic folded glass façade.
The second tower will have a similar face, and will be angled in such a way that the two towers will frame views of the city from the Danube river.
“From the start the project offered a site with incredible potential: an open terrain, facing Imperial Vienna, embedded in the geography of the Danube, lying on a plateau on the river’s eastern bank, like a bridgehead to two Viennas.” said design architect Dominique Perrault.
Check out the tower below. All photos courtesy of Dominique Perrault Architecture.
DC 2 will be built with its facade facing that of DC 1.
"Towers floating above the ground are too severe, like architectural objects, objects in themselves. They must land, take root in the soil of cities, in places where their urban substance is found," Perrault said.
The interior of the towers is finished with materials that imitate the slick metal and glass exterior.
The building is intended to retain an industrial feel on the inside as well as the outside.
"The exposed concrete framework is touchable. Stone and metal used in lobbies and circulations contribute to the tower's generous and reassuring physicality," Perrault said.
From inside and on top of the building, visitors can see both The Danube and the entire city.
"The towers function as two pieces of a gigantic monolith that seems to have split into two unequal halves, which then open to create an arch with undulating and shimmering facades that bring the newly created public space to life in the void created there," said Perrault.
The 58-story tower soars above a public plaza in Vienna's Donau City district.
Renderings depict the two DC towers. Courtesy Dominique Perrault Architecture
Related Stories
Market Data | Feb 24, 2021
2021 won’t be a growth year for construction spending, says latest JLL forecast
Predicts second-half improvement toward normalization next year.
Events Facilities | Feb 22, 2021
Weiss/Manfredi designs $250 million expansion for Longwood Gardens
The project will transform 17 acres of the core conservatory area.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 18, 2021
The Weekly show, Feb 18, 2021: What patients want from healthcare facilities, and Post-COVID retail trends
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from JLL and Landini Associates about what patients want from healthcare facilities, based on JLL's recent survey of 4,015 patients, and making online sales work for a retail sector recovery.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 10, 2021
The Weekly show, Feb 11, 2021: Advances in fire protection engineering, and installing EV ports in multifamily housing
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Bozzuto Management Company and Goldman Copeland about advice on installing EV ports in multifamily housing, and advances in fire protection engineering.
Architects | Feb 5, 2021
Heartwell named CEO at CallisonRTKL; Thompson appointed firm's first COO
Kim Heartwell named CEO at CallisonRTKL; Harold Thompson appointed COO.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 5, 2021
Healthcare design in a post-COVID world
COVID-19’s spread exposed cracks in the healthcare sector, but also opportunities in this sector for AEC firms.
Building Owners | Feb 4, 2021
The Weekly show, Feb 4, 2021: The rise of healthy buildings and human performance
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Brookfield Properties, NBBJ, and UL about healthy buildings certification and improving human performance through research-based design.
AEC Tech | Jan 28, 2021
The Weekly show, Jan 28, 2021: Generative design tools for feasibility studies, and landscape design trends in the built environment
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Studio-MLA and TestFit about landscape design trends in the built environment, and how AEC teams and real estate developers can improve real estate feasibility studies with real-time generative design.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 27, 2021
2021 multifamily housing outlook: Dallas, Miami, D.C., will lead apartment completions
In its latest outlook report for the multifamily rental market, Yardi Matrix outlined several reasons for hope for a solid recovery for the multifamily housing sector in 2021, especially during the second half of the year.
Modular Building | Jan 26, 2021
Offsite manufacturing startup iBUILT positions itself to reduce commercial developers’ risks
iBUILT plans to double its production capacity this year, and usher in more technology and automation to the delivery process.
