Schubertstrasse, Graz Architecture : Information

2003 Architect: Giselbrecht + Partner ZT GmbH Photos © Gerald Liebminger Office building in Schubertstrasse, Graz The raw material of this project was a feudal villa in one of the most beautiful streets in Graz, a powerful structure dominating the gentle slope it was built on, surrounded by park-like greenery. However, the building has been severely affected by the drastic changes that have occurred during the last century: traffic noise has multiplied, as have the costs for maintaining a property this size. It was these two factors that tipped the scales in favour of the construction of an office building that would protect the villa and its loggia from traffic noise and at the same time constitute a secure financial basis for its maintenance. The plans provide for a narrow building with offices on one side of a corridor. The two-storey structure runs along the street at the edge of the site and precisely fulfils the specifications laid down by the owner. The office units on both storeys are orientated towards the road in the south-east. The façade that faces the villa does not contain any openings. In this way, an intimate family garden zone is created between the new building - which, due to the sloping plot, only appears as a one-storey structure from this perspective - and the original structure. Ernst Giselbrecht contrasts the exposed loggia and its historicising columns with a modern variation on the theme, in a cool, relaxed design: a retreat with a summer kitchen and eating facilities, situated between the old loggia and the office building. The number and positions of the original columns are reflected in the new design, as is the original roof overhang. The office building presents itself as a clearly formulated, representative structure. The requirement of providing a variable combination of rentable areas is fulfilled through the separation of sanitary and secondary rooms from the office units, and the fact that every office unit has a separate access facility. Once again, we encounter the double-clad façade, one of Ernst Giselbrecht’s favourite themes: in this instance, the façade consists of two glass levels with a gap about the width of a footbridge. Protection against glaring sunlight is provided naturally, by the trees in the avenue facing the building. The exterior glazing made from sliding elements serves to keep out the traffic noise. By sliding them open, it is possible to enjoy a cigarette break in a splendid natural setting. DI Karin Tschavgova (Translation: Susanne Baumann-Cox / Y´Plus) Austrian Architect Studios BÜROHAUS DR. ERTLER, SCHUBERTSTR. Adresse: Schubertstraße, 8010 Graz Bauherr: Dr. Norbert u. Mag. Dagmar Ertler Architekt: DI Ernst Giselbrecht Giselbrecht + Partner Architects Brockmanngasse 48 A-8010 Graz Tel: 0316 / 817050 Fax: 0316 / 817050-9 Mitarbeiter: DI Bernhard Scherr Fachplaner: Statik: DI Steiner, 8010 Graz Haustechnik: Ing. Hammer GmbH, 8020 Graz Elektro: DI Gossar, 8020 Graz Ausführende Firmen: Baumeister: Fa. Pongratz, 8055 Graz Schlosserarbeiten: Fa. Mazuheli, 8484 Unterpurkla Fassade: Fa. Gregorcic, 8561 Söding Wettbewerb: Studie Jänner 1999 Planung: Herbst 2000 - Sommer 2003 Baubeginn: Herbst 2002 Fertigstellung: Herbst 2003 Bautechnische Daten: Bebaute Fläche: ca. 695 m² Nettonutzfläche: ca. 1.580 m² Bruttogeschoßfläche: ca. 1.870 m² Umbauter Raum: ca. 6.300 m³ Baubeschreibung: Kosten: Bauwerkskosten 1,52 Mio. Euro netto lt. Kostenschätzung Unterlagen: (Pläne, Modelle, Fotos) Modell 1:200 mit Glassturz, Publikationspläne, Modellfotos Veröffentlichungen: ·1 Architektur, Februar 2005