the anthracite-coloured building of the new ma 48 main workshop sets a significant – but by no means showy – urban and architectural sign in the surroundings of the late-19th-century hernals depot, on the rising street after wattgasse. on the site of the former slaughterhouse, since converted into the ma 48 vehicle depot, the aim after demolishing an existing hall that was no longer fit for purpose was not only to build a new main workshop but also to restructure the whole site to some extent.
the functional ensemble of a repair workshop with an office floor and a separate inspection hall with a membrane canopy was placed in the existing operational context, without either violating the scale of the surroundings or making the questionable attempt to disguise the industrial use with decorative “formalities”.
even the seemingly strong formal gesture of the rounded corners simply follows the turning circles of the traffic flow.
the sculptural presence of the two buildings (steel frame and reinforced concrete with a ventilated metal curtain façade) is reinforced by the flush ribbon windows and the cladding of velvety grey titanium-zinc sheet, and the curved panorama window on the upper floor of the main workshop gives the dining hall an unexpected wealth of views. the huge shop window rises up to the top of the parapet – a precisely placed “grand gesture” that not only ennobles the building but also enriches its atmosphere. inserted roller-door boxes break through the flush homogeneity of the workshop, on whose ground floor up to 18 ma 48 vehicles can be parked for repair and cleaning. above a mezzanine used as offices is the staff area for around 150 employees: with changing rooms, sanitary facilities, a lounge, an office wing and the panorama dining hall mentioned above, the staff's wellbeing is well looked after. to partly cover the space between the main workshop and the smaller inspection hall and the garage entrance, a distinctively folded membrane roof was developed, giving the whole ensemble additional lightness
