OMA wins competition to design new kadewe vienna department store

OMA has won a competition to design the new kadewe department store and hotel in vienna. located in the city’s museumsquartier, the mixed-use development will be split into two volumes, separated by a green passage that invites people up to a series of public roof-gardens.

images courtesy of OMA

lead by ellen van loon, ippolito pestellini laparelli, and laurence bolhaar, the project will be OMA’s first venture in vienna once completed. the facade is inspired by the gentle and sophisticated geometries of the architecture of the vienna secession. the gardens range in quality and character – from tree groves to sun decks – generating unprecedented views from all sides of the building onto the city.

on ground level, the kadewe complex enhances the pedestrian network by creating new types of public spaces in the historical center. the complex is characterized by a series of cylindrical glass modules including convex bay windows for the hotel, which is situated at the back, and concave panels for the retail space that is located at the front. 

‘the value of department stores should be measured by their ability to engage the local context,’ explains ippolito pestellini laparelli and ellen van loon. ‘we are very excited about the opportunity to work in the historical heart of vienna, and with this project we intend to highlight its qualities. the building is not an icon but rather an architectural device that establishes new urban connections and public spaces through its own internal organisation.’

project info:

name: kadewe vienna – the link
studio: OMA
client: signa development
program: retail, hotel, rooftop gardens, public spaces partners-in-charge: ellen van loon and ippolito pestellini laparelli
project architect: laurence bolhaar
team: anita ernodi, alexei haddad, mattia inselvini, natalie konopelski, antonia rubic, massimo tenan, michele zambetti
landscape architect: vogt landschaftsarchitekten
sustainability: IPJ ingenieursbüro p. jung
structural engineering and MEP: vasko + partner