The city of Vienna sets an important milestone in the promotion of vocational training with the construction of a new one Central vocational school building in the Seestadt Aspern. Mayor Michael Ludwig, Vice Mayor Bettina Emmerling and the management of Porr participation and Management GmbH carried out the official groundbreaking ceremony today and thus marked the beginning of the implementation phase of this future -oriented project, which is scheduled to start operating in September 2028.
High importance of education in Vienna
“With the new central vocational school in the Seestadt, we once again underline the high priority of education in Vienna – for all women and in all areas. Education is the key to social participation and strong democracy. In the city of Seeste, we not only create the most modern learning rooms for up to 7,500 pupils, but also set an educational policy and architectural sign that is very much above the borders. We bundle over 20 central apprenticeships under one roof-many of them in urgently needed areas such as logistics, e-commerce, construction and administration. so Mayor Michael Ludwig.
A house for the future of the city
Vice Mayor Bettina Emmerling betoNTE: “We bring education to the 21st century at all levels: For students, we build palaces, for the vocational students a kingdom within three years. We create a modern training center with realistic professional worlds within 29,000 square meters. Based on participation processes, effective and pedagogically valuable learning rooms are created here: pupils, teachers. External experts have been tested and furniture was being carried out here.
Investments in vocational training not only promote the individual development of the students, but also make a significant contribution to the city’s economic strength. The new school building is an important step to meet the requirements of the modern world of work.
The scope and structure of the new school building
The planned central vocational school building will combine seven existing vocational schools under one roof and offers space for up to 7,500 students as well as 350 employees, including around 300 educators and 50 other employees.
The vocational schools for industry, finance and transport, trade and administration, office workers, construction industry, trade and travel as well as retail and IT merchants are brought together on an area of around 29,000 m². This merger enables more efficient use of resources and promotes the exchange between the different disciplines.
Porr and Pleona bring in expertise
Porn Ceo Karl-Heinz Strauss explained: “The new central vocational school building is an extraordinary building alone due to its dimensions, in which we, as a total entrepreneur, bring in the entire range of our expertise. From the project financing, the execution planning to the implementation of the geothermal bores to the construction and operation by our partner Aplona, the execution of the geothermal work is incorporated here. ”
“We are very pleased that we, as APLEONA Austria GmbH, can also bring in our PPP expertise for the special project Central Vocational School. Not only will the training be forward-looking and sustainable here, but also the establishment and operation. Since we can ensure operation after the construction phase by 2053, future processes as well as efficient processes and working methods are an important prerequisite”,, “, emphasized Thomas Winter, CEO der Apleona Austria
Free space design and quality of stay
A special feature of the new school building is the freedom design, which offers space for lessons in the open air and relaxation. Spacious terraces promote the quality of stay and the exchange between the students. They offer space for informal learning processes and contribute to creating a pleasant learning environment.
Urban development and identity
In terms of urban planning, it was important to plan the massive building in small -scale and manageable, to give each cluster its own identity and its own forecourt and to connect to the ground floor within the building ensemble. The advanced and resolutions of the facades as well as the small forecasts on Edith-Piaf-Straße upgrade the street space and create a presence towards Hannah-Arendt-Park, creating a new axis to the neighborhood. This urban integration helps to harmonize the building harmoniously into the existing environment and create a new identity for the quarter.
Participative planning
The planning and conception of the building took place as part of an extensive participation process, in which, in addition to external specialists, the director and representatives of the seven vocational schools and students were integrated. Supervisors of extracurricular support for apprentices and the KUS network were also integrated into the process. This participatory approach ensures that the needs and wishes of all participants are taken into account and the building is optimally tailored to the requirements of users.
Architectural concept and sustainability
The architectural concept provides for a partially green base zone, which includes auditorium, communication areas, a dining room with fresh kitchen and a “practice shopping mall”. Air spaces connect the floors and enable daylight incidence to deep into the building. A photovoltaic system is installed on the flat roofs, and the energy supply takes place sustainably through geothermal energy, which supplies the building with heat in winter and ensures pleasant temperature in summer. These sustainable measures help to minimize the ecological footprint of the building and to ensure environmentally friendly use.
Outlook and competition
The city of Vienna has organized an EU-wide two-stage competition for the allocation of general planning services. A jury under the chairmanship of architect Prof. András Pálffy in January 2022 Project from Kronaus Mitterer Architects ZT GmbH chose to the winning project. This project is characterized by its innovative design and its sustainable concepts and will make a significant contribution to the further development of vocational training in Vienna.
Press images for this broadcast will be available shortly at: https://www.wien.gv.at/presse/bilder