Book depot Vienna

The five-storey book storage facility is designed as a compact building volume and engineered to accommodate high loads. The structural system consists of a reinforced concrete frame, with recycled concrete used wherever possible. Timber is employed where structurally feasible, including for non-load-bearing interior walls. A high degree of prefabrication enables a short construction period. The clearly structured, cubic building form is functionally tailored to the requirements of a book repository. The building is planned so that it can be extended during ongoing operation if required.

The compact design reduces the building’s primary energy demand. No fossil fuels are used for operation. Energy is supplied via geothermal energy in combination with thermally activated building components. In addition, a photovoltaic system with an output of over 300 kWp is installed on the roof. The electricity generated corresponds approximately to the average annual consumption of 65 four-person households. A coordinated ventilation concept helps prevent overheating during the summer months.

The book repository provides a net floor area of approximately 13,000 m² and is designed to accommodate a total of 130,000 linear metres of shelving. Of this, the University of Vienna uses 109,000 linear metres to store around 2.7 million volumes. Further areas are available to the Vienna University of Technology, the University of Applied Arts Vienna, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, and Geosphere Austria. By relocating the collections, more than 5,000 m² of space in the University of Vienna’s main building is freed up for academic use.

Upon completion, around half of the site will remain unsealed and be developed as near-natural meadow areas. This is complemented by an avenue of 60 newly planted trees, as well as greenery on the façade facing the suburban railway line and on the roof. Rainwater is retained and infiltrated on site and is not discharged into the sewer system.