The green and award-winning municipal building at the former Nordbahnhof in Vienna shows what contemporary and climate-effective architecture can look like.

Courtyard I © WSW/Ludwig Schedl

In the 'Nordbahnhof III' urban development area in Vienna's 2nd district, a total of 5,000 new apartments, 2,500 jobs, commercial space, and a 10-hectare park are to be built by 2026. Construction site 1A, owned by MIGRA and WOGEM, is a particularly noteworthy development. The approximately 7,500 m² site houses a particularly ecological and climate-resilient building with green terraces on various levels – which has also been officially confirmed and certified with greenpass GOLD. The residential complex on Nordbahnstraße, designed by querkraft Architekten and YEWO LANDSCAPES, includes approximately 250 subsidized apartments. The welcome party for the new residents took place in October 2024.

Adapted to needs
In addition to climate resilience and promoting biodiversity, the project focused, among other things, on considering the design for single parents and residential groups, creating social amenities such as communal kitchens, landscaped terraces, movable communal furniture, urban gardening opportunities, and much more. "Housing policy is much more than just building affordable housing. Key aspects include quality, climate protection, sustainability, a harmonious overall architectural design, and social interaction. Quantifying and demonstrating impact are also essential for successful quality assurance," says Kathrin Gaál, Deputy Mayor and City Councilor for Housing for the City of Vienna.

Green and effective terrace landscape
The buildings, which are up to 10 stories high, offer green terraces and recreational spaces on various levels. In addition to the intensive use of green roofs and ground- and trough-based facade greening to promote biodiversity, rainwater management has also been optimized.

greenpass GOLD for construction site 1A at Nordbahnhof
Like a passport for people, the green pass serves as an official confirmation document. The green pass transparently summarizes the climate resilience and sustainability of properties and their open spaces. Following successful optimization, the climate-fit municipal building on Nordbahnstrasse achieved a certification level of 79% and thus greenpass GOLD. In addition to the greenpass certification, the project was also certified with klima:aktiv BRONZE.