The new building is designed to create good framework conditions for spiritual, liturgical as well as secular social events for both active and retired personnel. The initial project title "where man and work meet" emphasises in which direction the needs of the people working at the steel company point.
The plot of land lies between borders formed by the main traffic arteries Westbahn and Ebelsberger bypass and the voestalpine's large industrial estate. This creates an island which, together with the deposit of a four-metre thick layer of slag stone formed during the era of industrialisation, meets the characteristic features of a "no-man's-land", which is in need of a new strong character.
The study of duality between man and work, relating to the interaction between the pastoral care and the steel company, led to the concept of a complementary addition to the area through a new "built landscape". Conventional church buildings, e.g. a basilica or tower, would not be able to achieve their independent meaning in this area as the voestalpine's site is mainly dominated by relatively high buildings (cylinder, spheres, cone, tower, etc.) with incomparably large dimensions.
In this case, it is not buildings but rather small existing woodlands which represent a "bastion of nature". This serves as a conceptional starting point for the introduction of an "oasis for the people", which is integrated into the green hillside, shielded from environmental exposure. The building is subsequently developed by cutting into and hollowing out the hillside.
The artery furthermore widens as it approaches the green space, and finally, gently leads up to the woods along a broad open sloping surface. The cultivation gradually increases in density starting from the lawn, via a diversity of plants, towards the coniferous forest.
Different spots within the countryside can either be visited or explored by going for a walk via several different walkways and stairs. Climbing the exposed roof terrace on the eastern side of the hillside, which faces away from the artery on a mezzanine, one passes the steel car port as well as the garden associated with the apartment and youth area of the building.
The polygonal ground plan is divided into the main areas and on all floors by the central part of the development which tapers towards the back. The development leads all visitors through the building, starting from the foyer, passing all the important entrances and the stairs to the upper floors, via stairs at the end of the development up to the exit into the opposite garden area on the eastern side. It divides the functional areas in the northern part of the building including offices, meeting room and workshops from the social and religious areas in the southern part including cloakroom, bar, event room and the chapel.
In this case, the bell is placed on the courtyard's ground near the people whereas it is normally found right at the top of the church tower. The hollow space under the bell serves to distribute the sound within the body of the hill (like the bell in the mining shaft). Within eyeshot of the courtyard, along the ravine, the stairs lead up to the upper floor with its guest room, the apartment and the youth area both with their own access to the garden. The parish's meeting rooms can be found on the other side of the ravine and are accessible via a bridge.
The triangle's surfaces consist of boards made of spruce wood with different widths, varnished in white, whose dark spaces create effective acoustics within the room. Starting by the entrances and the bar via the event room up to the chapel and the surfaces of the big overhead light, the room's shell integrates all their functional fittings, e.g. the bar and kitchen area, several doors and/or technical installations, to create a homogeneous appearance.
Architects: xarchitekten
Collaborator: Michael Hager, Sandra Gnigler
Art in construction: Gerhard BrandlCast of Architects 2008
Built-up area: 840 m²
Start of planning: February 2008
Completion: Summer 2011