Land schafft Stadt – a radical scenario for the transformation of the Westbahn area

New landscapes have emerged over time as a result of interventions in nature and the claiming of territories. Whole regions have changed enormously in a short period of time and are now almost exclusively shaped by cultural landscapes. Land use and spatial densification are reaching unimagined dimensions and putting cities in particular to the test.

Vienna has not been spared from this trend to date. On the contrary – the densification and sealing of the ground are continuing, so the Danube metropolis faces a lack of open and green spaces. Furthermore, socio-cultural needs and climatic conditions increase the desire for more open space and offer the opportunity to develop new habitats within the urban landscape with alternative uses.

The Westbahn area turns out to be one of the last unused reserves of space in the west of Vienna. It not only reveals spatial and atmospheric qualities but also creates a connection between urban and peripheral spaces. “Land schafft Stadt” aims to transform the more than 60-hectare railway territory. It puts the productive use of this linear territory in the foreground acting against conservative development strategies The proposal manifests the discrepancy between urban–rural and embraces agrarian urbanism. By bringing agricultural use alongside architectural elements the scenario creates three new identities for that location. Additionally, the architectural platforms become the new beacons of the landscape. They offer formal and informal uses and create places of encounter and interaction. At the same time, they enable the perception and experience of the new landscapes on different levels, such as directions of movement.

The collision between usability and poetics, as well as conceptuality and reality, allows this landscape to be understood as an adventure, an experience, or a risk. It is an attempt to perceive the city as the periphery of nature.