S IMMO AG: Künstlerhaus moving to Margareten

Corporate news

Siebenbrunnengasse 19–21 new temporary site for the art institution

Vienna, 15 July 2016 – Due to the complete renovation of the Vienna Künstlerhaus building, a suitable temporary location was sought for the duration of the construction work. The interim home of the renowned art institution was finally chosen at Siebenbrunnengasse 19–21 – a property of S IMMO AG – in Vienna’s up-and-coming 5th district. Marking the start of the relocation work on Friday, district commissioner Susanne Schaefer-Wiery, city councilman Ernst Woller, Künstlerhaus managing director Peter Zawrel, and S IMMO AG managing board member Friedrich Wachernig presented the new location at a joint press conference.

The Künstlerhaus will open its doors to visitors on Siebenbrunnengasse in autumn, offering a new centre in the city’s art scene. Susanne Schaefer-Wiery, commissioner of Vienna’s 5th district, said: “The core mission of the Künstlerhaus is to facilitate interaction with artists and to present in a tangible way the diversity of creative artistic processes. This is also my intention. As district commissioner, it is very important to me to establish the district as a ‘place for artists’, to network artists of all kinds in the district, and to provide them with a stage and platform. I am very pleased that the Künstlerhaus is relocating to the 5th district, thus expanding our spectrum in this area.”

Ernst Woller, chairman of the city council committee for culture, science, and sport added: “As chairman of Vienna’s cultural committee, I am very happy that the cooperation with S IMMO AG and the district administration of Margareten has made it possible to find a suitable temporary home for this important and venerable art institution during the two-year renovation of the Künstlerhaus building on Karlsplatz. This is also a very successful first project for temporary artistic space utilisation in Vienna that was made possible in part by the newly founded agency KREATIVE RÄUME WIEN. Vienna is an internationally recognised capital of culture. One of Vienna’s strengths as an artistic centre is that there are important cultural institutions in every district, and that there is a very large number of cultural associations and initiatives. We will further enhance this strength of Vienna’s culture in the coming years and place a focus on decentralised artistic work, efforts that will be all the more important given the rapid growth of the city. The Künstlerhaus 1050 project is a very good example of this.”

Ideal solution for a unique situation

After 148 years, the association behind the centre, Gesellschaft bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler Österreichs, will be leaving the Künstlerhaus building that it erected on Karlsplatz for two years so that the venerable building can be given the repairs and upgrades that it has needed for some time. “A unique situation that demands a unique solution. Thanks to inspired partners – S IMMO AG and IMMOVATE – this solution was found in Vienna’s Margareten district, where the Künstlerhaus 1050 will show what it can do and will provide a taste of the coming 148 years,” said Künstlerhaus managing director Peter Zawrel.

The temporary use of the space was made possible by the project coordination department for multiple use at Municipal Department 18 and the association KREATIVE RÄUME WIEN Büro für Leerstandsaktivierung. The KREATIVE RÄUME WIEN team has already organised the use of over 400 empty spaces, thereby creating a strong platform for a diverse urban culture. Zawrel: “I am very happy that Künstlerhaus has found such a suitable location for the duration of the renovation work. I thank the project coordination department for multiple use and KREATIVE RÄUME WIEN for their assistance in searching for and arranging a suitable property, which will be home to Künstlerhaus 1050 for the next two years.”

New location in the vibrant 5th district

Künstlerhaus has been provided with space in section D of the property on Siebenbrunnengasse. Friedrich Wachernig, member of S IMMO AG’s management board: “We are very pleased that we are able to provide Künstlerhaus with a suitable home that meets the diverse needs of an artistic institution for the next two years. This project is a wonderful use that underscores the special character of the property and that is intended as a signal for further potential tenants, especially from the creative and cultural sector.”

S IMMO AG acquired the property on Siebenbrunnengasse in 2015. Its location in an urban neighbourhood near the centre of the city and the very good infrastructure were key factors in the decision to make the purchase. The property, which was built in multiple stages between 1914 and 1950, consists of four structures and will have around 18,000 square metres of above-ground space when it is completed. The property is currently being renovated and adapted in collaboration with IMMOVATE – the responsible partner and expert for concept creation and project management.