Ballonhalle: Ground-breaking ceremony for a modern institute building for the Academy in the Vienna Arsenal
With the groundbreaking ceremony on May 13, the Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (BIG) will begin the renovation, expansion, and extension of the so-called Ballonhalle in the Vienna Arsenal. The former military building, erected shortly before the end of the war in 1917/18 and now under heritage protection, will be adapted for new use by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Completion is planned for the end of 2027; the university will begin using the building in early 2028.
"The transformation of the historic balloon hall will create a pioneering location for the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, exemplifying the connection between innovative research and cultural heritage. This construction project in the vicinity of the Arsenal not only provides urgently needed spatial and technical prerequisites for the Institute for Conservation and Restoration and the Institute for Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts, but also strengthens the Academy's role as an internationally networked center for art and science," said Rector Johan Hartle.
New Workshops and Laboratories
The design by Schenker Salvi Weber Architects was selected as the winning project in an architectural competition. Within the approximately 15-meter-high interior of the Ballonhalle, two additional floors will be constructed using a "box on stilts," housing seminar rooms. The ground floor below will contain an auditorium, library, and event spaces. The characteristic barrel roof and the large windows will be preserved, allowing the spatial character of the original building to remain perceptible. The extension consists of a single-story hall for workshops and studios, as well as a four-story tower for office and laboratory space. This expansion makes a confident architectural and urban planning statement; the partial cantilevering of the original main building creates an elegant connection while simultaneously establishing a deliberate break between old and new.