Wien Museum

The Wien Museum, located on the famous Karlsplatz, has reopened after four years of renovation and expansion. Dedicated to the history and culture of the city of Vienna, the museum needed to modernize its spaces while preserving its historic character. One of the major challenges was to make the building more sustainable, without altering the original structure designed by architect Oswald Haerdtl in 1959. The solution was to create a fusion of the existing building and a new extension, designed by architects Ferdinand Certov & Winkler and Ruck Architekten.

• An additional story was added, floating above the existing building. This doubled the museum's usable area from 6,900 m² to 12,000 m². The concrete was carefully crafted to create fine, irregular vertical lines, bringing a refined texture and play of shadows.
• The expansion also includes a glass pavilion that serves as a reception area and provides a climactic transition between exterior and interior, as well as a panoramic terrace overlooking Karlsplatz.
• The museum also underwent a major energy renovation and is now largely powered by renewable energies for air conditioning and heating systems, making it nearly energy self-sufficient.
• The installation of SageGlass smart windows also contributes to the energy performance of the space. The smart glass tints and brightens according to weather conditions, reducing energy consumption for cooling and limiting heat gain and glare.