Bel & Main: DMAA's Striking Urban Quarter in Vienna

Bel & Main: A New Urban Quarter Next to Vienna’s Central Station

Delugan Meissl Associated Architects (DMAA) has completed a new ensemble of three high-rise buildings in Vienna, Austria. The project, named Bel & Main, was developed on the basis of a competition for the development of a new district next to the city’s Central Station, which DMAA won in 2015.

The three buildings are connected by a base that defines the edges of the plot, giving the external appearance of the quarter a decidedly urban tone. DMAA employed an organising grid and homogeneous colour scheme to combine the individual volumes into a major urban form, rather than using individual gestures such as cantilevered balconies or small-scale mesh to differentiate the façades of the buildings.

The specific uses of each building are revealed in the façades by the dimension, rigour, and plasticity of a grid that individually structures the continuous full-height glazing. The positioning and orientation of the buildings on the plot creates optimal views in each direction, and a generous network of paths allows visitors to explore the quarter.

Bel & Main features a 60-metre-high residential tower with 209 high-quality rental apartments, a hotel with 133 studios and apartments of between 28 and 50 m², and an office tower with around 17,300 m² of office space. The ground floor of each building includes various public areas, such as a restaurant, meeting rooms, and leisure areas for the hotel, a kindergarten, and flexible meeting rooms for the office tower.

Bel & Main’s internal courtyard develops as a sequence of increasingly private external spaces, starting from a square located opposite the 21er Haus. The ground floor zone is home to a restaurant, meeting rooms, and general public and leisure areas of the hotel, as well as a kindergarten whose private open space is located on the roof of the base. The base is just one storey high at this point, allowing for ample natural light and a spacious outdoor area for the children.

Overall, Bel & Main is a modern and stylish addition to Vienna’s urban landscape, offering a range of amenities and public spaces for residents, visitors, and workers alike. DMAA’s innovative design approach creates a cohesive and visually striking urban form, while also prioritising functionality and optimal use of space.

Read also about the Casa Naranjos: A Harmonious Blend of Modernity & Nature project