Extending over 109 hectares, Vienna’s Central Station is one of the city’s largest and most important target areas. Replacing the Wien Südbahnhof terminus with a through station linking four major railway lines converging on Vienna from the North, East, West, and South, the new station in the 10th district, the city’s key infrastructural feat of the recent past, offers significantly improved connectivity.
Austrian Federal Railroads (ÖBB) and WIENER LINIEN, the two major carriers, called in KÖR to initiate a competition for an artistic solution for four areas of the station’s new pedestrian passageway. Being of crucial importance as a connection between the subway and the new station, the passageway was to be additionally upgraded through contemporary artworks. Keeping the ways as short as feasible, establishing utmost transparency, and ensuring the simplest orientation possible were the key criteria for the design of the passageway of the U1 subway station Südtirolerplatz. Great importance was attached to the project’s bright and pleasant appearance, easy maintainability, and simple-to-clean materials. The artworks were to furnish the location with an unmistakable identity and a clear surplus value.
Franz Graf’s project SUED emerged as winner of the competition.
Location
main railroad station passage to Südtiroler Platz, 1040 Vienna
Gallery
Further Information
Competition
artistic design of defined surfaces in the new connecting passage at Südtiroler Platz, 1040 Vienna
Awarding authorities
Kunst im öffentlichen Raum GmbH in cooperation with WIENER LINIEN and ÖBB - Austrian Federal Railways
Invited artists
Linda Bilda (AT), Verena Dengler (AT), Bernhard Fruehwirth (AT), Franz Graf (AT), Markus Krottendorfer (AT)
Jury
Birgit Brodner, 2006–2013 advisor at the municipal office of the administrative unit for Cultural Affairs and Science
Gregor Eichinger, architect (2010–2012 member of the KÖR-jury)
Judith Engel, Project Manager Vienna Main Rail Station ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG
Elisabeth Fiedler, Chief Curator, Institute for Public Art Styria
Josef Kaindl, representing Hermine Mospointner, Head of the Municipal District Office of the 10th district
Heinz Marschalek, Holzbauer-Marschalek-Ladstatter-Gantar-Jerabek-Krajnovic Ziviltechniker GesmbH (AGU)
Thomas Miesgang, curator
Günter Steinbauer, CEO, WIENER LINIEN
Expert consultants
Harald Bertha, Structural and Civil Engineering, WIENER LINIEN
Johann Hödl, Commercial Services and Controlling, WIENER LINIEN
Kurt Höfling, Head of Subway Planning Department, Network Development Manager, WIENER LINIEN
Axel Huber, artist and curator of the competition
Andreas Jerabek, Holzbauer-Marschalek-Ladstatter-Gantar-Jerabek-Krajnovic Ziviltechniker GesmbH (AGU)
Robert Kern, formerly of Zechner & Zechner ZT GmbH
Bettina Leidl, 2007–2011 Managing Director Kunst im öffentlichen Raum GmbH
Thomas Pipp, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG
Technical realization
Franz Graf’s installation on four surfaces in the passage consists of 65 glass panels of laminated safety glass, which were fitted into the existing wall structure using an aluminum substructure. The graphic production and preparation of the image data was carried out by Rendi Grafik Design in Vienna. The specialist company Petschenig Glastec GmbH was responsible for the technical realization.
Competition winner
Franz Graf
*1954 in Tulln (AT), lives and works in Vienna
203.3040.at/franzgraf
