Altenburg

Austria
Competition
2003

Abbey of Altenburg, Extension of the Monastery - The Return of the Repressed

The monastery wall of the Benedictine abbey of Altenburg was cracked in the area of the gallery. A structural physics exam showed that the wall along the gallery could no longer withstand the pressure of the earth masses and therefore had to be exposed. By exposing the wall, parts of the medieval monastery were also rediscovered and exposed.

The project assignment was then formulated in very simple terms: structural rehabilitation of the wall and a canopy over the uncovered medieval structures.

In fact, what is called for is an extremely complex construction in which a contemporary building is to activate medieval spaces within baroque structures. Comparable to the projects BVA and Bolzano, a shapeless building emerges here as well, or rather the building loses its shape and posture as a building. The terrain (the building site) is reached and constructed by means of lateral struts. The space allocation plan is woven into a field of tension structures. Construction equals terrain (building site).

Collaborators

Rüdiger Ingartner

Mitarbeiter | Collaborator

Consultants

Pagitz Metallbau, Friesach

Metallbau | Tensile structures

Fuchs Glastechnik

Glastechnik | Glass technologies

Werkraum Wien Ingenieure ZT GmbH

Peter Bauer

Tragwerksplanung | Structural Engineering

SGLW Architekten

Werner Silbermayr

Kostenberechung | Cost calculation

Project Info

Site ^22/2

The monastery wall of the Benedictine abbey of Altenburg was cracked in the area of the gallery. A structural physics exam in late 1990 showed that the wall along the gallery could no longer withstand the pressure of the earth masses and therefore had to be exposed.

Die Klostermauer des Benediktinerstiftes Altenburg war im Bereich der Altane brüchig. Eine statische Untersuchung Ende 1990 ergab, dass die Mauer entlang der Altane dem Druck des Erdreiches nicht mehr standhält und daher freizulegen sei.

Exposing the monastery wall led to the surprising discovery of medieval structures. It was decided to preserve and protect these structures and make them accessible.

Die Freilegung der Klostermauer förderte überraschende mittelalterliche Baufunde. Es wurde beschlossen diese Funde zu erhalten, baulich zu schützen und zugänglich zu machen.

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Abbey of Altenburg, general view

Benediktinerabtei Altenburg, Übersicht

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Models ^73/7

Model study

Modellstudie

Model study

Modellstudie

Model study

Modellstudie

Model study

Modellstudie

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Detail 2: contemporary fittings between excavated medieval spaces and the baroque abbey

Detail 2: Passstücke der Gegenwart zwischen mittelalterlichen Räumen und der barocken Abtei

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Functional capsules are woven into a field of tensile structures. The field of tensile structures replaces the building site - it is the building site.

Funktionskapseln werden in das Feld einer Zugkonstruktion geflochten. Das Feld der Zugkonstruktionen ersetzt das Baugelände. Das Feld der Zugkonstruktionen ist das Baugelände.