For my Bachelor’s thesis the task was to reinterpret the theme of “escape”. My idea resulted from being in Vienna for a long time and wanting to escape the city atmosphere but not necessarily leaving the city itself. From my observations, people living in a bigger city often are seeking a more quiet area such as the countryside to disconnect from the busy city lifestyle. As a first step, I chose a location where you are still physically in touch with the city but you cannot feel it anymore - under the pond of the “city park” in Vienna. How can this area by accessed without any architectural interventions been made in the city above ground as we know it - without further ado an advertising column and a maintenance tunnel turned into gates which are the thresholds between city and escape. From there the access is through long hallways where the feeling of “escape” is starting to appear. At the end the actual destination is revealed and the main escaping area is reached. A vertical cylinder becomes the main central retreat. The glass roof is turning into the pond, the last hint of the city and imitated by a pool on the lowest floor. The wall of the cylinder is opened up by rectangular rooms with various functions rotating around the wall in different heights. These rooms provide a workshop area, multimedia facilities, a bar etc for the visitors to pursue daily needs. This cylindrical escape is intended to be accessible for an inner circle that wants to submerge for a few hours. A central yet remote spot.
Faculty: Mag. Arch. Florian Sammer
