Apartment Building Gasometer B 

The four Gasometers built in 1896 originally housed the tanks for the gas supply of Vienna. After the closure of these protected landmarks, the interior elements were dismantled, leaving the classical facades. The specific location of the Gasometers within an industrial site, as well as the unusual character of the resulting spaces, led them to be used for diverse cultural activities.

The concept of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s Gasometer B adds three new volumes to the existing building: the cylinder, located inside the Gasometer, the striking addition of the shield that is visible from outside, and the multifunctional event hall situated at the base.

Gasometer B hosts both apartments and offices. Those located in the cylinder receive natural light through the conical inner courtyard and the windows of the historical facade. An expansive north-oriented glass facade with loggias provides the shield with natural light. The 330 apartments offer differentiated living forms, ranging from 3‑room-maisonettes and lofts to smaller units for students. By combining office and apartment uses, new ways of working and living are encouraged, a pioneering concept at the time of construction.

The complex can be accessed either from the outside via Guglgasse, or directly from the subway station through the connecting shopping mall. The latter connects all Gasometers on ground level. Inside Gasometer B, a spacious and functional buffer between the event hall and the apartments and offices above ground is created. Internal communication is thereby intensified. The Skylobby on the seventh floor creates a social space for the inhabitants. Other remaining spaces can be used as common areas.

The event hall is a column-free, self-supporting shell construction in the Gasometer, that is freestanding and not structurally connected to the residential building above it. Functionally, structurally and acoustically, the operation of the event hall is thus uncoupled from the apartment building.