NO.MAD

Wu University Executive Academy . Vienna

NO.MAD . photos: © Miguel de Guzmán . + archdaily

The first decision follows a functional attitude condensing the Department units and the educational spaces by specialities onto compact vertical structures with independent access.

Each volume finds its optimal situation and orientation regarding the needs for interconnection and proximity between specialities placing the public programs in the ground floor and the educative in the top floors while keeping the intermediate for the departmental areas. These generic volumes adapt their form according to relationships between the inner program, accessibility and relative position to the urban structural lines opening public access on the ground floor and towards selected landscapes on the upper floors generating new relaxing, meeting or cafeteria spaces.
As we move upwards, the departmental units and learning spaces find their optimal space in relationship with the other specialities producing new adaptative connexions through shared programmes on exogenous and high quality spaces to enjoy far away landmarks as the Prater, the old city and the Danube. The complex geometry generated by these relationships consistently absorbs all the student flux and the obliged visual axis from the master plan while helping with its presence to understand the exterior urban squares and the campus.
The internal organization generates a geometry defining also the structural elements as high cantilevered walls transferring each level load bearing. These big scale structural elements performs also as solar and thermal control devices allowing two-level glass surfaces in the common areas. The spatial and lighting landscape on public areas, seminars and working spaces amplifies its geometric potential relying on a system filtering light and landscape by means of diverse behaviours related to size and position due to the interior student activity. The built volumetric atmosphere transmits the internal variety of working and learning spatial conditions through a shiny black metal mass perforated by random glass and luminous presences configuring a homogeneous envelope.

Architect In Charge: Eduardo Arroyo
Collaborators: Esteban de Backer, David Rodriguez, Frank Müller, Michael Rabold
Engineering, Structure, Hvac: Vasko+Partner Ingenieure