Common Space Donauversum
Principal Task: Masterplan, Program, Stakeholder
Cooperation: Wiener Basketballverband, Marlies Stohl (Usus am Wasser), Measury
Commission: Mostlikely Architecture
Team: Mark Neuner, Alexander Fischer, Marlene Lötsch, Irina Nalis
Donauversum generates a new kind of public space for body, mind and soul in a lush natural landscape, closely connected to the river with a great connection to the public transportation network. The Donauversum stands out through its high-quality free public infrastructure, which inspires individual appropriation and spontaneous use. With its inviting, open platforms that are made of robust materials and are accessible throughout the year, the program will be ever-changing through its visitors.
The design strategy was developed in a cooperative process with several community oriented experts. It was executed with the help of our Common Space Toolkit.
Zonierung des Donauversum
Transforming the former Sunken City into a lively Common Space for BODY, MIND and SOUL.
Visualisation of the Body landscape Donauversum invites all people in Vienna to exercise close to the river in the Future Fitness Landscape BODY that expands close to the metro station. The Sports Hub with a flying roof and multifunctional sports fields can host open trainings, events and tournaments.
It is equipped with showers, changing rooms and lockers. Next to the sports fields there is a climbing wall and an obstacle course.
Visualisation of the Mind landscape
The Donauversum offers inclusive luxury during all seasons. Most areas are consumption-free and the services are free of charge.
In the adjacent area the MIND is put into focus: A serviced Co-Working Hub, expanded consumption free terraces, a stretched co-working table and year-round rentable co-working cabins offer well equipped infrastructure for working, exchanging and networking, embedded in a natural landscape.
Visualisation of the Soul landscape And last, a generous relaxation, bathing and cultural area addresses the SOUL. Here you can find a cultural hub with a small kiosk and a light shed roof for shade that is surrounded by tree houses and terraces with large seating stairs. The soul area can host public gatherings, open air cinemas, lectures, jam sessions or concerts. The wooden terraces and lush green hills invite swimmers and sunbathers to enjoy a hot summer day, while a small sauna will become an attraction for ice-swimmers after a cold dive in the winter.
Main principles:
free access
committed operators
robust design
digital community plattform
Digital community plattform All rooms and facilities are networked via a digital community platform. The platform lets you make reservations and brings users together. The Magical Info Points on site are a new generation of guidance systems that make all these features tangible and usable on site.
The operators of Donauversum An innovative, open utilisation concept needs a stable and economic operating concept. This was developed in an interdisciplinary team with committed operators.
Public barbecue station at Donauversum The 15 barbecue areas are one of Vienna‘s great success stories: for a small usage fee, everyone can have one of the most beautiful places. We want to take up this principle and develop it further for the Donauversum.
Landscaping To round off the Donauversum experience, a finely tuned landscaping program is implemented. A perennial garden becomes an eyesight, even in the winter. A stone biotope as a spatial installation also offers a home to insects and lizards. Reed on the shore of the river helps to renaturalize the area and newly planted trees create shade areas.
Cooperative Process
Together with Usus am Wasser, the Wiener Basketballverband and Measury we established a concept for the area in a cooperative process. With the help of various tools, e.g. Design Thinking tools, ideas were developed in a collaborative process. Together we set common goals and formulated specific milestones for their implementation. Usus am Wasser offered insights into missing infrastructure on the Danube island. The Wiener Basketballverband is an expert in the design of sports hubs, and Measury knows how to establish cause-effect models for monitoring the success of new implementations. By combining our expertise we found innovative design solutions that serve the community.
