The Car Free+City project marks a significant step forward in the development of sustainable urban living and commercial spaces. The IKEA building within this district boasts excellent connectivity to public transportation and features a popular rooftop terrace that has become a favorite gathering spot for local residents.
Querkraft emerged as the winner of a three-stage architectural design competition, which involved several workshops. Early on, the clients expressed their vision clearly: “We want to be good neighbors.” Querkraft realized this by designing buildings that contribute positively to both themselves and their surroundings.
The rooftop terrace is open to the public, offering a welcoming space to enjoy coffee, relax, and take in city views. Additionally, the building’s facades are richly adorned with greenery, reinforcing its role as an environmentally friendly and community-oriented neighbor.
The building’s curtain wall system features an outdoor shelving design that echoes IKEA’s iconic shelving units. This 4.5-meter-deep “shelf” curtain wall wraps around the entire structure, providing sun shading while extending the interior space.
The curtain wall also creates terraces and landscaped areas alongside functional spaces such as elevators, fire escapes, and building services, blending utility with aesthetic appeal.
Open Layout Encourages Interaction
The entrance level serves as a vibrant hub, with spacious areas seamlessly connecting to the retail zone and extending directly to Mariahilfer Straße. A void space extends to the right, crossing the interior and creating visual links between different floors.
60 Trees Integrated on and Around the Building
The trees planted on the facade and rooftop significantly influence the local microclimate. Positioned at varying heights and depths throughout the structure, there are more trees inside the building than at ground level.
These plants play a key role in Vienna’s Urban Heat Island Strategy by cooling and humidifying the environment, effectively serving as a natural air conditioning system. Computer simulations estimate that the building’s greenery reduces surrounding air temperatures by approximately 1.5°C, enhancing pedestrian comfort.
Centralized and Efficient Building Services
The building’s design prioritizes operational efficiency through simplicity: short distances and direct accessibility are key principles. The visible infrastructure within the building also enhances the perception of spaciousness by increasing the apparent ceiling height.
Flexible Open Plan Layout
Prefabricated reinforced concrete columns are arranged on a 10×10 meter grid, allowing for flexible interior layouts that can adapt to evolving needs.
The lower floors house IKEA retail spaces, while the upper two floors accommodate the Jo&The Joe Hotel. This mix of uses ensures the building remains lively and active 24/7.
Under the leadership of project manager Carmen Hottinger, Querkraft’s nearly all-female architectural team worked closely with the owners to deliver an optimal solution for this car-free IKEA building in the city center.
Project Drawings
△ Base Schematic Diagram
△ Retail Store Floor Plan
△ Hotel Floor Plan
△ Roof Terrace Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Elevation Drawing
Project Information
Architect: Querkraft
Area: 29,480 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographers: Heausler, Hertha Hurnaus
Owner: IKEA Austria
Architectural Physics: Ingenieurbüro P. Jung
Green Space Design: Kräftner Landschaftsarchitektur, Green4Cities
Structural Engineering: Thomas Lorenz ZT GmbH
Construction Services: RHM GmbH
Electrical Engineering: TB Eipeldauer+Partner GmbH
Fire Consultant: FSE Ruhrhofer & Schweitzer GmbH
Location: Vienna, Austria
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