Gersthof Model School - Renovation and Conversion of a Listed Hospital

In Gersthof, an upmarket area in an outer district of Vienna, we transformed the former Orthopaedic Hospital into a contemporary educational campus. The striking building from the 1920s is a listed monument. After the hospital moved out, it was almost converted into luxury apartments. Instead the property was acquired by the Federal Real Estate Company (Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft), who developed a flagship project for the adaptation of existing buildings into contemporary learning landscapes. This way, it remains open to the public.

Continuing to build on a listed monument: We believe that good architecture is not a tight glove tailored precisely to a specific use, but rather a loose mitten that allows for multiple functions. Here, adapting a historical building presented an opportunity to question conventional school standards and to partly deviate from them. Instead of standard classrooms, the wing depth resulted in classes that are longer than usual. We opened up the dark corridors to the classrooms and introduced inviting work group and break areas in between. The characteristic red tiles on skirting boards and door frames have been preserved. We cite these elements in the architectural additions. On the east side, we recessed the terrain to connect the former basement with the cafeteria to the garden. The administration building opposite the school became a science lab. The sports halls are partially sunk into the ground, sit as sculptures under the old red beeches, echoing the existing pavilion structure.

An intelligent low-tech concept: Instead of retrofitting the building with an extensive mechanical ventilation system that would not fulfil preservation regulations, we opted for an approach with intelligently controlled window ventilation. This school is the first building integrating such a concept to receive Austria’s „klimaaktiv“ certification. This label was originally designed for new buildings, but we were able to demonstrate that building on existing structures using low tech methods can be both sustainable and eligible for certification. For the sports pavilions, we opted for a timber frame construction and façades made of black-glazed wooden slats. The gyms are also equipped with an intelligent window ventilation system.