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
| Dec 12, 2014
SOM names winner of One World Trade Center photo contest
Gerry Padden's winning photo offers a striking juxtaposition of the Brooklyn Bridge with the sparkling One World Trade Center tower.
| Dec 11, 2014
2015 Architecture Firm Award goes to Ehrlich Architects
The AIA Architecture Firm Award, given annually, is the highest honor the AIA bestows on an architecture firm and recognizes a practice that consistently has produced distinguished architecture for at least 10 years.
| Dec 11, 2014
Moshe Safdie awarded 2015 AIA Gold Medal
The AIA Gold Medal, voted on annually, honors an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.
| Dec 10, 2014
International Olympic Committee releases first images of new HQ in Switzerland
Designed by 3XN, the new headquarters is located within a park on the shores of Lake Geneva and adjacent to historic Château de Vidy, which has been the iconic home of the IOC.
| Dec 10, 2014
CannonDesign acquires Astorino, forms design-led design-build division
The merger also extends CannonDesign’s presence in the markets Astorino currently serves, namely Pittsburgh and Abu Dhabi.
| Dec 10, 2014
Must see: Babina's latest illustrations cast famous architecture quotes as colorful road signs
Babina has adapted quotes from famous names such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvar Aalto, and Mies Van Der Rohe.
| Dec 9, 2014
Steven Holl wins Mumbai City Museum competition with 'solar water' scheme
Steven Holl's design for the new wing features a reflective pool that will generate energy.
| Dec 9, 2014
ABC economist predicts continued construction industry growth in 2015
In his latest report, ABC's Chief Economist Anirban Basu forecasts nonresidential construction spending to expand by roughly 7.5% next year, led by the power, lodging, office, and manufacturing sectors.
| Dec 8, 2014
How brick and mortar enables online retail
According to a shopping preferences study conducted by A.T. Kearney, as many as two-thirds of shoppers go to a physical store before or after making an online purchase, writes Gensler's Jill Nickels.
| Dec 8, 2014
The year’s boldest BIM/VDC themes
High-speed rendering software, custom APIs, virtual reality tools, and BIM workflow tips were among the hottest BIM/VDC topics in 2014.
