A modern housing project with various housing units and forms, constructed on a former industrial area in the 12^th district of Vienna.

A south-facing hillside with a stunning view, attractive housing, shops, bars, restaurants, offices, cultural institutions, surrounded by green and recreational spaces – this is what it is like to live in “Kabelwerk”.

The careful planning involving experts accompanied by a citizen participation process marks this project as trend-setting. Six teams of accredited architects created a variety of housing options, ranging from garden and terrace apartments to maisonettes, home offices and houses with atriums. These buildings are surrounding walkways, plazas, sports fields and playgrounds as so called “wrap-around architecture”.

The special traffic and parking solutions, with a focus on a car-free green and recreational spaces in the centre, and its excellent connection to individual and public transport, ensure both the high-quality urban life-style and high recreational value. The coexistence of housing, shops, offices, nurseries and leisure facilities, such as a pool with panoramic view, creates a new part of the city that incorporates many benefits.

In 2004 the urban planning project Kabelwerk was awarded the “Otto Wagner Städtebaupreis” (Urban Planning Prize).

Kabelwerk – a part of the city – with something for everyone

The many different estates offer besides various housing options also a mix of different Nutzungs- Rechts- und Förderungsformen. “Kabelwerk” comprises 614 refurbished and newly-built subsidised rental apartments with ownership option, 177 newly subsidised owner-occupied apartments and 213 newly subsidised furnished apartments. This is a total of around 1.004 residential units. Plus around 30 sponsored bars and restaurants.

There is also a hotel, shops, a nursery, multi-purpose rooms in the basement, 742 underground parking spaces, a cultural centre, an old people’s home with 253 beds and assisted living units with 63 beds. “Kabelwerk’s” distinguishing feature is the high number of apartments with an unrestricted view over Vienna basin all the way to the ‘Schneeberg’ and the ‘Wienerwald’.

“Kabelwerk” was constructed between 2004 and 2010.

Kabelwerk housing

The “Kabelwerk” consists of various different building. Enumerated from south to north, these are the “Gartenhof”, “Lux-Gebäude”, “Siedlung am Park”, “Terrassenhaus”, “Brückenhaus”,  “Kabelwerk-Karree”, “Runde Eck”, “Pool-Haus”, “Solitär”, “Lofts”, “Kulturhaus”, “Fabrik” (the last three are refurbished old buildings), “Große Treppenhaus” and “Grießergarten”, the “Palais Kabelwerk” cultural centre and “Ro*sa KalYpso”, a flat-sharing community for women.

These different buildings contain a variety of different apartments, from furnished one-bed flats to five-bed apartments. Almost all the apartments have outdoor areas, such as private gardens, patios, balconies or verandas. All apartments are run using low-energy technology, a district heating system and are in line with ecological building principles.

Green, recreational area concept

“Kabelwerk” has a special concept concerning their green and recreational spaces. Besides numerous parks, playgrounds and private gardens which are allocated to individual housing complexes, the “Kabelwerk” district also offers a number of car-free walkways, squares, toddler play areas and a large playground for teens.

The development becomes progressively lower towards the south. This creates a large number of roof terrace apartments with unrestricted views over Vienna to the south. The development includes a series of secluded squares that are reserved for pedestrians.

History of Kabelwerk

For 100 years the “Kabelwerk” (former called the ‘Kabel- und Drahtwerke AG’) was one of the districts leading companies and its largest employer. The company’s closure in December 1997 gave rise to a large-scale planning and citizens’ participation process initiated by the city of Vienna and the district Meidling. Already on the 30 May 1996 local residents were invited to participate in a workshop and invited to collaborate. In the same year this resulted in the “Millenniums Workshop” with experts and was later documented in a widely noticed exhibition.

The initial success of the citizens’ participation process led to its continuance. On the basis of which an urban planning competition was launched in 1998, whose results were examined in so-called “pilot projects” until 2001. These “pilot projects” were reviewed by an “urban planning support group” and residents’ representatives. In June 2002 the new zoning and development plan was agreed upon. Since September 2002 the site is owned by “Kabelwerk” Bauträger GmbH.

Contact

KR Ing. Peter Fleissner

Kabelwerk Bauträger GmbH

E-Mail: office@kabelwerk.at

Website: Kabelwerk