BWM Designers & Architects

A large-scale urban planning project for the 15,400m2 site around the Wiener Eislaufverein ice rink. Joint participation in the international competition with the Amsterdam-based firm Wiel Arets Architects. The objective of the competition was to find a new development concept for the area around the ice rink, Hotel InterContinental and the Konzerthaus. BWM and Wiel Arets proposed opening up the ice rink site to the public in the summer and fitting it with an open-air stage for the Konzerthaus, as well as giving the area new accessways. They also proposed placing the additional volume of space stipulated in the competition tender in several staggered cubes on and around the hotel – but no higher than 75m. The prominent Hotel InterContinental, built in 1964, is to be preserved, but extensively renovated.