HIA Heumarkt Neu'

Heritage Impact Assessment
‘Heumarkt Neu’ Construction Project and Development of the World Heritage Property
‘Historic Centre of Vienna’
Heritage Impact Assessment
‘Heumarkt Neu’ Construction Project and Development of the World Heritage Property
‘Historic Centre of Vienna’
21st February 2019

IMPRINT
PRINCIPAL
Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria
Ref. no. BKA – KU24.621/0053 – II/4/2018
represented by: Dr. Christoph Bazil, Head of Division II / 4
www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at
DATA TRANSFER
City of Vienna, represented by: Mag. Rudolf Zunke
Wertinvest, represented by: Mag. Klaus Wolfinger (Wolfinger Consulting GmbH)
Isay Weinfeld Arquitetura e Urbanismo LTDA, represented by: Dipl.-Ing. Sebastian Murr (Murr Architekten Part GmbB)
www.wien.gv.at; www.wertinvest.at; www.sebastianmurr.com
CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT, LAYOUT AND PHOTOGRAPHY

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Kloos
M. A. Baharak Seyedashrafi
Dipl.-Ing. Philipp Tebart
www.michaelkloos.de
VISUALISATIONS
v-cube
M.A. Richard Ehren
www.v-cube.de
DOUBLE-CHECK OF THE REPORT AND ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Prof. Dr.-techn. Cristian Abrihan, Project Management and Project Development in Historical Context, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, RheinMain University of Applied Sciences
Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Vittorio Magnano Lampugnani, Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study / ETH Zürich Department Architektur
Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher, Faculty of Architecture, Chair and Institute of Urban and Regional Planning, RWTH Aachen University
Dr. Birgitta Ringbeck, World Heritage Coordination Centre, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Kunibert Wachten, emeritus, until July 2018, Chair and Institute of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Architecture, RWTH Aachen University
6 Heritage Impact Assessment Heumarkt Neu construction project and development of the World Hritage property Historic Centre of Vienna
SUMMARY
1. Objective and background of the assessment ing Universal Value of the World Heritage property.
1.1_Objectives: b.) Assessment of the Heumarkt Neu construction project with regard to
The objective of this independent expert assessment commissioned by the the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic
Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria is to evaluate from an inde- Centre of Vienna:
pendent perspective the effects of recent high-rise developments and the
planned Heumarkt Neu construction project on the Outstanding Universal • Effects on the authenticity and integrity of the World Heritage property.
Value of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. In case of • Effects on the city centre as a whole, and in more detail on the imme-
negative influences, the plan is to develop recommendations how to re- diate surroundings of the Ringstraße ensemble.
duce or avoid such influences.
c.) It was the expressed wish of the principal to carry out the evaluation
1.2_Background: process with the involvement of the (professional) public, in spite of the
The Heritage Impact Assessment is based on Decision 41 COM 7B.42 adopt- very limited time available (public consultation).
ed by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2017 to inscribe the World
Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna on the List of World Heritage in
Danger, on the grounds that 2. Assessment process and methods
• urban development has reached a critical level as a result of high-rise 2.1_Against this background, the process of preparing the Heritage Im-
developments and the modernisation of historic building stock, thus pact Assessment included the following steps:
impacting the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, 1. Key stakeholders were informed on the assessment in preliminary
• the control and planning instruments of the City of Vienna do not suffi- talks, and specific requests were incorporated whenever possible
ciently protect the Outstanding Universal Value, (representatives of the principal, tenderer and architect, representa-
• the modifications of the planned Heumarkt Neu project do not meet the tives of the City of Vienna).
requirements and recommendations of the World Heritage Committee. 2. A so-called Scoping Report was prepared and made available to the
central stakeholders involved, which illustrates the content frame-
In more detail, a position on the following issues is to be taken in the Her- work, the process design and the time schedule of the assessment.
itage Impact Assessment: 3. The tenderer and the commissioned architect’s office were asked to
compile information on the project that served as a basis for the de-
a.) Analysis of the development of the Historic Centre of Vienna since inscription presented in the report of the planned Heumarkt Neu proj-
scription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in the year 2001, with par- ect. In addition, the project description was agreed with the tenderer
ticular focus on high-rise developments at the edge of the buffer zone. and the commissioned architect’s office.
Assessment of the high-rise developments with regard to the Outstand- 4. During a dialogue round held on 20 September 2018, citizens and rep-

Heritage Impact Assessment Heumarkt Neu construction project and development of the World Hritage property Historic Centre of Vienna 7
resentatives of NGOs were given the opportunity to report on their 3.1_High-rise developments since 2001:
assessment of the matter under consideration. It is to be stated that the distant view of the historic city centre of Vienna
5. The visualisations created for the Heritage Impact Assessment by the from many lookout points of cultural history relevance has changed sig-
authors of the report were agreed with the commissioned architect’s nificantly because of the high-rise developments which have been real-
office Murr Architekten. ised since 2001:
6. On 13 November 2018, an interim report on the assessment was pre-
sented in the course of the UNESCO / ICOMOS Advisory Mission. Rep- • St. Stephen’s Cathedral can no longer be seen as the symbolic and
resentatives of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS Interna- visual centre of Vienna from the Giant Ferris Wheel / Danube Tower.
tional, the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria and the City of Therefore, it is no longer possible to experience the mono-centrality
Vienna attended the meeting. of Vienna’s urban structure, which is a characteristic of the World Her-
7. The assessment was double-checked by an Advisory Board, consisting itage property Historic Centre of Vienna.
of renowned international experts. • The view from the Belvedere gardens to the historic city centre of Vien-
8. There are plans to make the assessment available to the public once na was significantly changed by the high-rise developments at Dan-
it is completed, and to summarise the assessment in a video which is ube Canal / Leopoldstadt.
easy to understand for all stakeholders, in order to facilitate a trans- • A random check of the consequences of the high-rise developments
parent and constructive exchange of opinions. in the area of Wien River / Zollamtssteg indicates that their height also
impairs the visual integrity of the historic city centre of Vienna and of
2.2_The assessment methods included an analysis of the following partial the Ringstraße ensemble from a close-by perspective. The consistency
aspects: of the streetscape built during the Gründerzeit is noticeable only to a
1. Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value: Inscription limited extent.
criteria of the World Heritage property
2. World Heritage relevant planning and protection instruments 3.2_Effects of the planned Heumarkt Neu project:
3. Developments on the World Heritage property since 2001 The assessment showed that the scale of the planned Heumarkt Neu
4. Planned development: Heumarkt Neu project project results in tremendous impairments of the visual integrity of the
5. Characteristics of the historic skyline of Vienna World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. In particular the follow-
6. Historical and urban development of the assessed area concerned ing three urban spaces are directly affected in the narrower area under
7. Conclusion: Definition of attributes (characteristics) of the World Her- assessment:
itage property which are relevant to the assessment
• Belvederegarten: Dramatic change of the appearance of St. Stephen’s
Cathedral creates adverse effects on the everyday perception of his-
3. Assessment results torically significant monocentric urban structure / the historic skyline
of Vienna;
These assessment steps gave the following results: • Lothringerstraße: Inappropriate distortion of the historic Ringstraße
ensemble as a result of the planned demolition and new construction

of the existing InterContinental Hotel at a larger scale / creation of a the 10-point list of measures below in order to avoid the very serious neg-
new high point which is atypical for the type of buildings of the Ring- ative effects on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage
straße ensemble; property to be expected:
• Stadtpark: Amplification of the already existing scale problems of the
existing hotel as a result of the planned demolition and new construc- 4.1_Recommendation 1: Two years’ moratorium for all planning mea-
tion at an even larger scale. sures jeopardising the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage
property Historic Centre of Vienna:
Since this will directly affect fundamental attributes (=characteristics) of • Suspending any other planning measures for the planned Heumarkt
the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna, it is expected to Neu project for the next two years.
have very serious negative effects on its Outstanding Universal Value. • Using this period to explore possible World Heritage compatible al-
ternatives for the current Heumarkt Neu project, taking account as far
These adverse effects on the visual integrity are contrasted by the pre- as possible of the above-mentioned positive aspects of the current
dominantly positive effects of the project on the interdependencies of project.
the Heumarkt Area with regard to its usage functionality, which urgently • Preparing World Heritage compatible alternatives based on the exist-
requires refurbishment due to its existing urban development deficits: ing Glacis Master Plan, taking account of the historical urban context,
and focus on reducing the negative effects on the visual integrity of
• Supporting an appropriate mix of uses by maintaining and supple- the World Heritage property caused by the building height and the
menting existing uses in accordance with the operating institutions; scale.
• Reducing the barrier effect and improving the accessibility of the Heu-
markt Area; 4.2_Recommendation 2: Use the period of inscription on the List of World
• Creating a public place and upgrading the public space; Heritage in Danger to prepare a Management Plan:
• High design / architectural ambition. • The World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna should remain
on the List of World Heritage in Danger (so-called ‘Red List‘) during the
However, from the perspective of the assessing experts, the negative two years’ moratorium.
effects cannot be outweighed by the expected positive effects of the • Use this period to prepare a Management Plan for the World Heritage
planned Heumarkt Neu project, since its scale would in particular result in property Historic Centre of Vienna in accordance with § 108-118 of the
direct impairments of the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heri- Operational Guidelines, describing in sufficient detail how to maintain
tage property Historic Centre of Vienna. the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property Histor-
ic Centre of Vienna, and which strategic measures and instruments to
use in order to guarantee a sustainable and future-proof development
4. Recommendations of the World Heritage property.
• If necessary, extend this two years’ period and the moratorium for an-
In the light of the above, taking account of the recommendations of the other year if the Vienna City Council is not able to adopt the Manage-
Expert Procedure March 2018, it is recommended to promptly implement ment Plan in the first two years.

4.3_Recommendation 3: Clarification and specification of the Retrospec- 4.5_Recommendation 5: Adding new protection and planning instru-
tive Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (RSoOUV): ments at federal level:
• Create a solid basis for preparing the above-mentioned Management • Amendment of the Regional Planning Laws at least in Austrian provinc-
Plan by revising the RSoOUV, since it is inherently contradictory and es where UNESCO World Heritage properties are located (mentioning
essential parts are missing in the official German translation, and text the UNESCO World Heritage as part of the public interest), so that they
passages have been translated in a misleading manner. can be used to protect Austrian UNESCO World Heritage properties and
• During this revision, it should be clearly determined which character- in particular Historical Urban Landscapes and Cultural Landscapes.
istics convey the authenticity with regard to the historic skyline of Vi- • Mentioning the UNESCO World Heritage as part of the public interest in
enna and contain the OUV of the World Heritage property. This deter- the Austrian Heritage Protection Law, so that it can be used to protect
mination must be made in accordance with the information provided Austrian UNESCO World Heritage properties, since the expert consid-
in the ICOMOS evaluation report on the inscription, and in the appli- er it a problem that the Austrian Federal Monuments Office currently
cation for inclusion in the World Heritage List, and must not result in a does not regard itself responsible for the protection of Austrian UNESCO
reinterpretation of the criteria which were originally of essential sig- World Heritage properties.
nificance for inclusion in the World Heritage List. • Amendment of the Heritage Protection Law with regard to protection
• Use this Statement on Authenticity as a basis for all future planning of the surroundings, an active application of the protection of historic
measures of the City of Vienna affecting Vienna’s historic skyline. It ensembles, the protection of visual axes which are important in terms
should be noted that the undamaged historic skyline of Vienna was of cultural heritage, and the obligation of preserving monuments, so
the point of origin for inscription of the World Heritage property His- that it can be guaranteed that it is compatible with the requirements
toric Centre of Vienna of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
4.4_Recommendation 4: Definition of attributes of the UNESCO World 4.6_Recommendation 6: Adding formal protection and planning instru-
Heritage property: ments at the level of the City of Vienna:
• During the assessment at hand, fundamental assessment-relevant at- • Prompt amendment of the Vienna Building Code by anchoring the
tributes (=characteristics) were identified, reflecting the Outstanding UNESCO World Heritage to provide a clear legal and administrative
Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. framework for protecting the two World Heritage properties in Vienna
• However, naming these attributes had to be limited to the content in the future, and facilitate their effective protection.
framework of the assessment, and therefore this can only be the be- • Complete coverage of the entire area of the World Heritage property
ginning of a complete attribute map for the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna with protection areas (here: inclusion of Heu-
Historic Centre of Vienna. markt Area).
• As a consequence, a complete attribute map should be developed, • Cartographic and text listing of the two World Heritage sites of Vienna
which also forms the basis of the above-mentioned Management Plan. and their buffer zones in the Land Development Plan.
If necessary, the attribute mapping can take place at the beginning of
the development process of the above-mentioned Management Plan.

4.7_Recommendation 7: Adding World Heritage relevant general protec- 4.9_Recommendation 9: Establishing a World Heritage Advisory Board:
tion and planning instruments at the level of the City of Vienna: • Prompt establishment of a World Heritage Advisory Board for the
• Prompt amendment of World Heritage relevant general protection World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna.
and planning instruments to support the future-proof development • This World Heritage Advisory Board should be composed of persons
of Vienna’s World Heritage properties as an integral part of a sustain- with a profound knowledge on complex UNESCO World Heritage prop-
able urban development. erties (in particular Historic Urban Landscapes) and on planning issues
• Amendment of the STEP 2025 Thematic Concept High-Rise Buildings and Vienna’s urban development. The World Heritage Advisory Board
with exclusion zones for high-rise buildings in the area of the two should also include experts which are completely independent of Vi-
World Heritage properties in Vienna, and listing of Vienna‘s two World enna’s City Administration.
Heritage properties, their buffer zones and relevant historic visual • Involvement of the independent experts of the Advisory Board in the
axes to Vienna’s World Heritage properties, which must be kept clear development of the above-mentioned Management Plan and in the
of high-rise buildings, in all relevant maps which are part of the study. implementation of the recommendations provided in the Heritage
• Amendment of the Glacis Master Plan with a restriction of building Impact Assessment. Subsequently the World Heritage Advisory Board
heights, which will determine the admissible building heights in the should assist the regular World Heritage Management in an advisory
planning area of the master plan. This may be based on the division of capacity.
the Ringstraße Area into ‘ensembles’ and ‘zones’ which was made in
the Glacis Master Plan. For this purpose, the historical condition of the 4.10_Recommendation 10: Initiating an open, interdisciplinary dialogue
Ringstraße ensemble should be the key guideline. on Vienna’s World Heritage:
• As recommended by all experts of the Expert Procedure March 2018,
4.8_Recommendation 8: Completing an independent study on the added it is advised to hold and continuously maintain an interdisciplinary
value of the planned Heumarkt Neu project: and international dialogue between politicians, investors, planning
• Amendment of the existing Heritage Impact Assessment by another experts and citizens.
expert report to evaluate the social and economic added value for the • Use the development process of the Management Plan for open dia-
general public created by the Heumarkt Neu project. logue and the close involvement of citizens, and for ensuring a tight
• This expert report is to be created by an institution or expert which is integration of this dialogue with politicians, investors and planning
completely independent of the City of Vienna. experts.
• It is essential to note in this context that an expected public added val- • Use public events like the Cities Facing Development and Preservation
ue cannot be a replacement for complying with necessary measures congress organised by the City of Vienna as part of the OWHC Pro-
protecting the Outstanding Universal Value, and therefore it cannot be gramme on 13 - 15 February 2019 to support this dialogue.
a reason for accepting developments which are a potential risk for the
authenticity and integrity of the World Heritage property.

CONTENTS
SUMMARY6
PART I BACKGROUND
1 Task and Objective of the Heritage Impact Assessment18

1.1 Initial situation 18
1.2 Expert Workshop March 201818
1.3 Tasks of the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria19
1.4 Conclusion: Central elements of the Heritage Impact Assessment20
2 Methods22
2.1 ICOMOS Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties 201122
2.2 Scope of the Heritage Impact Assessment22
2.3 Outstanding Universal Value and attributes as a starting point 22
2.4 Data sources 23
2.5 Visualisations 23
2.6 Assessment of the impact on the Outstanding Universal Value25
2.7 Support of a sustainable development process 27
2.8 Methodological steps of the Heritage Impact Assessment28
2.9 Conclusion: Development process of the Heritage Impact Assessment29
PART II ANALYSIS
3 Inscription criteria of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna32

3.1 Outstanding Universal Value of the UNESCO-World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna32
3.2 Inaccuracies in the definition of attributes in the RSoOUV35
3.3 Contradictions in the RSoOUV36
3.4 Inaccuracies of the authenticity reasons in the RSoOUV36
3.5 Inaccuracies in the section Protection and management requirements of the RSoOUV37
3.6 Inaccuracies in the translation of the RSoOUV38
3.7 Conclusion: Recommendations with regard to the Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value 38

4 Protection instruments40
4.1 Formal World Heritage specific protection instruments 40
4.2 General planning and protection instruments 43
4.3 Supporting planning and protection instruments 45
4.4 Conclusion: Recommendations supplementing protection instruments 47
5 Developments of the World Heritage property since 200150

5.1 Controversially discussed high-rise projects and their location within the city 50
5.2 Effects of the high-rise projects 51
5.3 Conclusion: Staged progress of Vienna‘s ‘World Heritage story’ 54
6 Description of the planned Heumarkt Neu project56

6.1 Location in the city and existing situation 56
6.2 Keywords describing the genesis of the planned Heumarkt Neu project 58
6.3 Uses and urban planning situation of the project area 60
6.4 Cooperative expert procedure 66
6.5 Key design features 66
6.6 Dimensions 68
6.7 Facade and texture 71
6.8 Distribution of uses within the planned building ensemble 72
6.9 Ownership structure on the project area 73
6.10 Anticipated public added value 74
6.11 Conclusion: Aspects of the planned Heumarkt Neu project that are relevant to the assessment 82
7 Analysis of key characteristics of Vienna’s urban development and skyline84

7.1 Tabular overview 84
7.2 Vienna’s historic skyline 88
7.3 Conclusion: Vienna’s historic skyline 91
8 Analysis of the historical and urban development of the narrower area under assessment92
8.1 Categorisation in the urban development and historical development of the former Glacis92
8.2 Development of the Ringstraße ensemble94
8.3 Present situation of the Ringstraße ensemble95
8.4 The Zweier-linie – Classification of the parallel structure of the Ringstraße ensemble and narrower area under assessment 97

8.5 Conclusion: Fundamental features of the Ringstraße ensemble98
9 Attributes of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna which are relevant to the assessment100
9.1 Attributes of World Heritage properties 100
9.2 Conclusion: Attributes of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna101
PART III ASSESSMENT
10 Assessment Methodology and Impacts of high-rise planning on the world heritage property Historic Center of vienna 106
10.1 Visual analysis – Methods 106
10.2 Evaluation of transformations – Guidelines and criteria 106
10.3 Documentation of visualisations 107
10.4 High-rise developments at the edge of the buffer zone109
10.5 Analysis of the high-rise developments 109
10.6 Conclusion: Recommendations for future minimisation of negative impacts caused by high-rise planning 124
11 Impacts of the planned Heumarkt Neu project on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property
Historic Centre of Vienna126
11.1 Image sequences from a pedestrian perspective 132
11.2 Video sequences from a driver’s perspective bus / train / car 190
11.3 Summary of the visual effects 198
11.4 Functional and usage-relevant effects on the World Heritage property 199
11.5 Direct physical effects on the World Heritage property 199
11.6 Socio-economic effects on the World Heritage property (= added value of the project) 199
11.7 Assessment of cumulative effects on the World Heritage property 200
11.8 Effects on objectives of the management of the World Heritage property 200
11.9 Effects on the entire World Heritage property 201

PART IV RECOMMENDATIONS
12 Recommendations206
12.1 Recommendation 1: Two years’ moratorium and review of all planning measures jeopardising the Outstanding Universal Value
of the World Heritage property 206
12.2 Recommendation 2: Use the period of the moratorium to prepare a Management Plan206
12.3 Recommendation 3: Clarification and specification of the Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (RSoOUV)207
12.4 Recommendation 4: Definition of attributes of the UNESCO World Heritage property207
12.5 Recommendation 5: Amendment of protection and planning instruments at federal leve 207
12.6 Recommendation 6: Adding formal protection and planning instruments at the level of the City of Vienna208
12.7 Recommendation 7: Adding World-Heritage relevant general protection and planning instruments at the level of the City of Vienna208
12.8 Recommendation 8: Completing an independent study on the added value of the planned Heumarkt Neu project 208
12.9 Recommendation 9: Establishing a World Heritage Advisory Board209
12.10 Recommendation 10: Initiating an open, interdisciplinary dialogue on Vienna’s World Heritage 209
PART V APPENDIX
13 Decisions and recommendations with regard to the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna212
13.1 Expert Workshop March 2018212
13.2 Decisions and recommendations with regard to the UNESCO World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna215
14 Background information on the Heritage Impact Assessment242

14.1 The World Heritage Convention242
14.2 Outstanding Universal Value (OUV)242
14.3 World Heritage criteria 242
14.4 Heritage Impact Assessments243
15 Sources and other information on the assessment244

15.1 Literature 244
15.2 Links 247
15.3 Abbreviations 247
15.4 Glossary 248


PART I BACKGROUND
1. TASK AND OBJECTIVE OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT

ASSESSMENT
2. METHODS OF HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

1. TASK AND OBJECTIVE OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT

ASSESSMENT
1.1 INITIAL SITUATION After the national workshop with international experts was carried out in
March 2018, the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria, represent-
The Heumarkt Neu building project is currently planned in Vienna. The plan ed by Dr. Christoph Bazil commissioned this Heritage Impact Assessment2
is to build this project in the area of the World Heritage property Historic as a second step.
Centre of Vienna. However, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and its
advisory non-government organisation for World Cultural Heritage Sites The objective of this independent expert assessment is:
ICOMOS expressed concerns that the project could jeopardise the integrity
of the World Heritage property. Therefore, the UNESCO World Heritage Com- • To evaluate which effects the high-rise developments planned by the
mittee incorporated the World Heritage property in the List of World Heritage City of Vienna since the inscription of the World Heritage property His-
in Danger in the year 2017 (decision 41 COM 7B.42). In 2018, the World Heri- toric Centre of Vienna in 2001 at the edge of the buffer zone had on the
tage Committee adopted the decision to include the World Heritage property Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property.
in the List of World Heritage in Danger for another year (decision 42 COM 8C.2). • To evaluate the positive and negative effects of the planned Heumarkt
Neu building project on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World
The internationally applicable guidelines on the implementation of the UN- Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna.
ESCO World Heritage Convention provide for an increased monitoring by the
World Heritage Committee after inscription on the List of World Heritage in In case of any negative impacts, recommendations must be developed
Danger.1 In line with these requirements of the international obligations, an how these impacts can be reduced or eliminated.
in –depth discussion on the contents was initiated in autumn 2017 between
the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria, the City of Vienna, the
World Heritage Centre and its advisory organisation ICOMOS International. 1.2 EXPERT WORKSHOP MARCH 2018
The following decisions were made:
The following experts took part in the above-mentioned workshop which
• Carry out a national workshop with international urban planning and was held in March 2018:
urban development experts and experts on procedural matters of the
UNESCO World Heritage, • Univ. Prof. Dipl. Ing. Dr. Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani, Wissenschafts-
• Carry out an extensive Heritage Impact Assessment, kolleg Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study / ETH Zurich Department of
• Carry out an UNESCO / ICOMOS Advisory Mission in autumn 2018 (which Architecture
was held between 12th and 15th November 2018).
1 UNESCO (2017): Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, 2 More information on the objectives of Heritage Impact Assessments and their legal background
para. 190 et seqq. can be found in the Appendix of this assessment (Chapter 14.4)

• Univ. Prof. Dipl. Ing. Christa Reicher, Faculty of Spatial Planning Urban
Land Use Planning, Dortmund University of Technology (now: Faculty buildings, so that the Outstanding Universal Value of the site is
of Architecture, RWTH Aachen University) jeopardised,
• Dr. Birgitta Ringbeck, World Heritage Coordination Centre, Federal • The City’s control and planning instruments do not sufficiently
Foreign Office, Berlin protect the Outstanding Universal Value,
• The changes to the planned Heumarkt project are not in line
The objective of the workshop was to assess the World Heritage compatibility with the requirements and recommendations of the World Her-
of a new building project at Karlsplatz and the Heumarkt Neu project. While itage Committee.
the first project was consistently assessed as compatible with the World Heri-
tage principles, this was not the case for the Heumarkt Neu project.3 In detail, it is requested to provide comments on the following sub-
jects:
Therefore, it is necessary to come to a final evaluation of the situation in
this Heritage Impact Assessment from an independent expert perspective, a) Analysis of the development of the historic centre of Vienna
while taking account of these assessments. since inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001,
considering the “cumulative negative effects” (f. ex. report of
the Advisory Mission 2015)4:
1.3 TASKS OF THE FEDERAL CHANCELLERY OF THE REPUBLIC OF • Analysis of the urban and historical qualities of the historic
AUSTRIA centre of Vienna as an exceptional testimony to a continuing
interchange of values during the second millennium (criterion
Against this background, the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria II); specifically: Have the urban planning developments in the
defined the following detailed framework for the Heritage Impact Assess- World Heritage zone reached a critical level?
ment for performing the Heritage Impact Assessments when the contract • Analysis primarily with regard to the high-rise buildings at the
was awarded on 11 June 2018: edge of the buffer zone in relation to the reasons mentioned
in the file for the authentic conservation state of the property,
Decision 41 COM 7B.42 which was adopted in 2017 by the UNESCO which is mainly due to the omitting of high-rise buildings (see
World Heritage Committee to include the World Heritage property nomination for inscription)5 .
Historic Centre of Vienna in the List of World Heritage in Danger, was • Analysis of the planning instruments with regard to the devel-
justified with the facts that opment of the World Heritage property.
• The urban development reached a critical level as a result of the b) Assessment of the Heumarkt Neu building project:
high-rise developments and the modernisation of historical
4 ICOMOS (2015): Reactive Monitoring Mission to the World Heritage property “Historic Centre of
Vienna” (Mission Report)
3 A compact summary of the comments by the experts is included in the Appendix of this 5 Republic of Austria. (2000). The World Heritage "The Historic Centre of Vienna", Nomination for
Assessment (Chapter 13.1) inscription on the World Heritage List, Vienna.

• Effects on the “total artwork” (sum of the three key periods: c) Public consultation:
Middle Ages, Baroque and Gründerzeit (criterion IV): Urban • Within the scope of the HIA, an event should be planned with
morphology, visual axes, etc. (see nomination for inscription) public participation, to hear and evaluate the public opinion
► i.e. an overall assessment of the planned building project in at first hand.
relation to the historical environment. Concrete question: Does
the height of the tower (approx. 66 metres) disturb the authen- d) Inclusion of the results of the workshop in March of this year for
ticity and integrity (of the conservation status) of the historic all issues.
buildings from the 2nd millennium in Vienna? These were em-
phasised as “Outstanding Universal Value” in the nomination,
and were the main criterion (“conditional criterion”) for inclu-
sion [in the UNESCO World Heritage List] in the year 2001.
• Detailed effects in the surrounding area (Ringstraße ensemble) 1.4 CONCLUSION: CENTRAL ELEMENTS OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT AS-
and the city centre as a whole (Belvedere view): primarily visually SESSMENT
► scope, dimensions and design of the planned project, urban
morphology parameters (structure of the development, such as With reference to these tasks, the Heritage Impact Assessment includes
height and density, creation of plots, building typology). the following central elements:
• Effects on the public space: Transformation of Ice-Skating Club
area; consequences of the street relocation (f. ex. loss of green a) Presentation of the historic development of the World Heritage prop-
spaces; noise development regarding the opposing buildings): erty Historic Centre of Vienna since its inscription on the World Heri-
technical issues and environmental issues. tage List in 2001:
• Analysis of the assessment of the public added value (to pre pre- • Documentation of key developments within the World Heritage prop-
sented by the City of Vienna in the Scoping Report):6 f. ex. main- erty and related decisions of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee
taining the Ice-Skating Club, hotel conference centre, “libera- and its advisory body ICOMOS.7
tion” of the Konzerthaus (new entrance and passage between
Lothringerstraße and Heumarkt, etc.). Evaluation of these as- Based on this, analyses of whether:
pects should be guaranteed by involving a second expert. • Developments in the World Heritage area jeopardise the Outstanding
Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna,
• High-rise developments at the edge of the buffer zone of the World
Heritage area jeopardise the Outstanding Universal Value of the World
6 To present the added value of the project, the City of Vienna provided the following docu- Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna,
ments:
- City of Vienna: Municipal Department 21 (November 2016), Umweltbericht zur Darstellung • the functionality of existing planning and protection instruments for the
der mit der Festsetzung des Flächenwidmungsplanes und des Bebauungsplanes verbundenen World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna is sufficient;
Umweltauswirkungen für das 2,7 ha große Gebiet zwischen Johannesgasse, Am Heumarkt,
Lisztstraße und Lothringerstraße im 3. Wiener Gemeindebezirk.
- City of Vienna: Heumarkt HIA Übersicht Mehrwerte_Kloos Version 6 July 2018 7 This list in the form of a table is attached as an Appendix to this Assessment (Chapter 13.2)

b) Analysis of the planned Heumarkt Neu project with regard to its effects on
the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic
Centre of Vienna:
• Assessment of the visual effects on the historic skyline of the city.
• Assessment of the effects on the urbanistic surroundings (Ringstraße
ensemble, incl. the band of the so-called ‘Zweierlinie‘).
• Assessment of the public added value of the planned Heumarkt Neu
project [provided by external expert / expert institution].
c) The Heritage Impact Assessment process is to be carried out with public

participation.
d) The results of the national workshop held in March 2018 with interna-
tional urban planning and urban development experts as well as pro-
cedural questions of the UNESCO World Heritage shall be included.

2. METHODS
The methods used for this Heritage Impact Assessments are explained in 2.2 SCOPE OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
detail below.
In accordance with the tasks illustrated in the previous Chapter, the Heri-
2.1 ICOMOS GUIDANCE ON HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS FOR tage Impact Assessment focuses on the
CULTURAL WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTIES 2011
• Assessment of possible risks to the Outstanding Universal Value of the
The advisory organisation of the World Heritage Committee for World World Heritage area Historic Centre of Vienna and its periphery caused
Cultural Heritage Sites, ICOMOS, established the ICOMOS Guidance on by high-rise buildings.
Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties 20118 • Assessment of the visual effects of the planned Heumarkt Neu project
(hereinafter: ICOMOS Guidance) for the performance of Heritage Impact on the historic skyline of the city.
Assessments in World Cultural Heritage Sites. The contents and course of • Assessment of the effects of the planned Heumarkt Neu project on the
the evaluation process of the Heritage Impact Assessment shall be pre- immediate surroundings (Ringstraße ensemble).
pared in line with the recommendations of the ICOMOS Guidance. Any • Assessment of the public added value of the planned Heumarkt Neu
World Heritage compatibility assessments must take account of the fol- project [Please note: This is prepared by an independent external ex-
lowing facts: pert / expert institution; see Recommendation 8 in the Summary and
in Chapter 12].
1. Visual effects on the World Heritage property
2. Functional effects on the World Heritage property
3. Direct physical effects on the World Heritage property 2.3 OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE AND ATTRIBUTES AS A STARTING
4. Socio-economic effects on the World Heritage property POINT
5. Assessment of cumulative effects on the World Heritage property
6. Effects on the management of the World Heritage property The starting point of the assessment of the positive and negative effects
7. Effects on the entire World Heritage property of the planned Heumarkt Neu project on the World Heritage property His-
toric Centre of Vienna is the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Her-
As a consequence, the assessment of the World Heritage compatibility of itage property, which was mentioned in the Retrospective Statement of
the high-rise planning surrounding the buffer zone of the World Heritage Outstanding Universal Value.9 Therefore the first chapter of the Heritage
property Historic Centre of Vienna and the planned Heumarkt Neu project Impact Assessment includes an analysis of those criteria that were used
has to go beyond purely visual aspects. to substantiate the inscription of the property on the World Heritage List.
According to the nomination file, the World Heritage property Historic
8 http://openarchive.icomos.org/266/1/ICOMOS_Heritage_Impact_Assessment_2010.pdf 9 see Chapter 3 and further explanations in the Appendix (Chapter 14).

Centre of Vienna is a complex conservation area rated as a ‘total work of The Appendix contains a list of the sources used for this assessment (see
art‘ with its Outstanding Universal Value expressed in very different attri- Chapter 15).
butes (=characteristics). As a consequence, an analysis of important steps
in Vienna’s urban development and its historic skyline and of the narrow-
er assessment area of the Ringstraße ensembles is used as a basis within 2.5 VISUALISATIONS
the Heritage Impact Assessment to be able to identify the attributes of the
World Heritage property which are relevant to the assessment as precise- Since the evaluation of effects of the planned Heumarkt Neu project on
ly as possible (see Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9). the visual integrity of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna
plays a key role within the framework of the Heritage Impact Assessment,
realistic visualisations play an important role. The various decisions of
2.4 DATA SOURCES the World Heritage Committee also repeatedly requested 3D representa-
tions. Based on geo-referenced photographs which were especially taken
During the assessment, relevant background information was made of selected viewpoints, and the 3D model of the planned project (made
available by the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria (BKA), by available by Murr Architekten), the Aachen-based office v-cube therefore
the City of Vienna (Municipal Department 19 and Municipal Department created precise visualisations. The exact positioning of the model for the
41), by the company WertInvest and by the architects’ office Murr Ar- visualisations was ensured using a 3D city model made available by the
chitekten. City of Vienna (Dep. 41).
In detail, such exchange of data and information concentrated on the The Murr Architekten office entrusted with the execution planning for the
following subjects: planned Heumarkt Neu project was involved in the review of the visuali-
sations.
• Information on Vienna’s historical development and the closer nar-
rower area concerned (BKA),
• Information on the previous development of the World Heritage
property (BKA),
• Information on protection instruments and on significant informal
plans to control the urban development (Dep. 19),
• Data of the digital 3D model of the City of Vienna (Dep. 41),
• Information on the planning process, different uses in the Heumarkt
Area and on the current state of planning of the planned Heumarkt
Neu project (WertInvest),
• Data and plans of the planned Heumarkt Neu project and the
planned relocation of Lothringer Straße (Murr Architekten);

Fig. 2.1 a,b: Creation of

the visualisations of the
Heumarkt Neu project
(© v-cube)

2.6 ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT ON THE OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL for all key components of the UNESCO-World Heritage property Historic
VALUE Centre of Vienna.
The magnitude and severity of positive and negative effects of the high-
rise planning bordering the World Heritage area and its buffer zones, as
well as the planned Heumarkt Neu project on the World Heritage prop-
erty Historic Centre of Vienna, shall be assessed in line with the ICOMOS
Guidance on a score of 'no change' to 'major change'. The latter grade
indicates a very severe impairment of the Outstanding Universal Value.
The objective of this evaluation is also to define as accurately as possi-

ble, what physical or intangible attributes of the World Heritage proper-
ty will potentially be changed.
When assessing the impacts, it must be taken into account that the
significance of individual attributes is closely linked to the assessment
scale. A relatively slight change has major effects if the cultural heritage
value of the attribute concerned can be rated as 'large‘ or 'very large‘.
According to the ICOMOS Guidance, this assessment must be carried out
SCALE AND SEVERITY OF CHANGE / IMPACTS
VALUE OF HERITAGE ASSET

No Negligible Minor Moderate Major
change Change Change Change Change
SIGNIFICANCE OF EFFECT OR OVERALL IMPACT (EITHER ADVERSE OR BENEFICIAL)
For WH properties Very High – attributes which

convey OUV Mod- Large/
Table 2.1: Taken from: Neutral Slight erate/ Very Severe
ICOMOS Guidance, p. Large Large
9-10, January 2011

IMPACT ATTRIBUTES:
GRADING BUILT HERITAGE / HISTORIC URBAN LANDSCAPE / HISTORIC LANDSCAPE/ INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Major Change Change to key historic building elements that contribute to the OUV, such that the resource is totally altered. Comprehensive changes to the setting.
Change to most or all key historic landscape elements, parcels or components, extreme visual effects; gross change of noise; fundamental changes
to use or access, resulting in a total change to historic landscape character and loss of OUV. Major changes to area that affect the ICH associations or
visual links and cultural appreciation.
Moderate Change Changes to many key historic building elements, such that the resource is significantly modified. Changes to setting of an historic building, such that
it is significantly modified; change to many key historic landscape elements, visual changes to many key aspects of the historic landscape, noticeable
differences in noise or sound quality; considerable changes to use or access; resulting in moderate changes to historic landscape character. Consid-
erable changes to area that affect the ICH activities or associations or visual links and cultural appreciation.
Minor Change Change to key historic building elements, such as the asset is slightly different. Changes to setting of an historic building, such that it is noticeably
changed; change to few key historic landscape elements, parcels or components; slight visual changes to few key aspects of historic landscape; lim-
ited changes to noise levels or sound quality; slight changes to use or access, resulting in limited change to historic landscape character. Changes to
area that affect the ICH activities or visual links and cultural appreciation.
Negligible Change Slight changes to historic building elements or setting that hardly affect it. Very minor changes to key historic landscape elements, parcels or com-
ponents, virtually unchanged visual effects, very slight changes in noise level or sound quality; very slight changes to use or access; resulting in a
very small change to historic landscape character. Very minor changes to area that affect the ICH activities or associations or visual links and cultural
appreciation.
Table 2.2: Taken from:

No Change No change to fabric or setting, no change to elements, parcels or components, no visual or audible changes, no changes in amenity or community ICOMOS HIA Guidance,
factors. No change to ICH Appendix 3B, p. 16-17,
January 2011

2.7 SUPPORT OF A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 2. A so-called Scoping Report was prepared and made available to the
central stakeholders involved, which illustrates the content frame-
According to the ICOMOS Guidance, the design of the Heritage Impact As- work, the process design and the time schedule of the assessment.
sessment must support the sustainable development of the World Heri- 3. The tenderer and the commissioned architect’s office were asked to
tage property Historic Centre of Vienna. As a consequence, recommenda- compile information on the project, which serves as a basis of the de-
tions were worded so that they can be included in future planning and scription presented in the report of the planned Heumarkt Neu proj-
development processes in the World Heritage property. ect. In addition, the project description was agreed with the tenderer
and the commissioned architect’s office.
In support of this, transparent communication and a constructive ex- 4. During a dialogue round held on 20 September 2018, citizens and rep-
change of views between local, regional and international decision-mak- resentatives of NGOs were given the opportunity to report on their
ers is indispensable. In the light of the above, the following steps were assessment of the matter under consideration.
followed in the drafting process of the Heritage Impact Assessment: 5. The visualisations created for the Heritage Impact Assessment by the
authors of the report were agreed with the commissioned architect’s
1. Key stakeholders were involved in the assessment in preliminary talks office Murr Architekten.
(representatives of the principal, tenderer and architect, representa- 6. On 13 November 2018, an interim report on the assessment was pre-
tives of the City of Vienna). sented during the UNESCO / ICOMOS Advisory Mission. Representatives
Fig. 2.2: Heritage Impact

Assessment as an inst-
rument to mediate bet-
ween local, national and
international decision
processes (© mkphc)

of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS International, the Feder- PART III ASSESSMENT
al Chancellery of the Republic of Austria and the City of Vienna attend-
ed the meeting. 10. Risk potential of the Outstanding Universal Value of the historic sky-
7. The assessment was double-checked by an Advisory Board, consisting line caused by high-rise developments
of renowned international experts. 11. Effects of the Heumarkt Neu project on the Outstanding Universal
8. There are plans to make the assessment available to the public once Value
it is completed, and to summarise the assessment in a video which is
easy to understand for all stakeholders, in order to facilitate a trans-
parent and constructive exchange of opinions. PART IV RECOMMENDATIONS
12. Recommendations for future corridors of action

2.8 METHODOLOGICAL STEPS OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Overall, the assessment consists of the following five steps: PART V APPENDIX
PART I BACKGROUND 13. Decisions and recommendations for the World Heritage property His-
toric Centre of Vienna
1. Starting point, task and objective of the Heritage Impact Assessment 14. Background information on the Heritage Impact Assessment
2. Methods used for the Heritage Impact Assessment 15. Sources and other information on the Heritage Impact Assessment
PART II ANALYSIS
3. RSoOUV: Inscription criteria of the World Heritage property

4. World Heritage relevant planning and protection instruments
5. Developments in the World Heritage property since 2001
6. Planned development: Heumarkt Neu project
7. Characteristics of Vienna’s skyline
8. Historical and urban development of the narrower assessment area
concerned
9. Attributes of the World Heritage property which are relevant to the as-
sessment

2.9 CONCLUSION: DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT

ASSESSMENT
The following working process was passed through in the development of

the Heritage Impact Assessment:
Fig. 2.3: Development

process of the Heritage
Impact Assessment
(© mkphc)


PART II ANALYSIS
3. INSCRIPTION CRITERIA OF THE WORLD HERITAGE

PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA
4. PROTECTION INSTRUMENTS

5. DEVELOPMENTS OF THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY
SINCE 2001

6. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNED HEUMARKT NEU PROJECT
7. ANALYSIS OF KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF VIENNA’S URBAN

DEVELOPMENT AND SKYLINE

8. ANALYSIS OF THE HISTORICAL AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
OF THE NARROWER AREA UNDER ASSESSMENT
9. ATTRIBUTES OF THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY HIS-

TORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA WHICH ARE RELEVANT TO THE
ASSESSMENT

3. INSCRIPTION CRITERIA OF THE WORLD HERITAGE utation as the ‘musical capital’ of Europe. Vienna is also rich in ar-
PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA chitectural ensembles, particularly Baroque mansions and gardens
as well as the late 19th century Ringstrasse ensemble lined with
First of all, the inscription criteria of the World Heritage property Historic grand buildings, monuments, and parks. The property consists of
Centre of Vienna are presented below. Serving as a basis for the subse- the city’s medieval core (based on the Roman settlement), the prin-
quent assessment, this is followed by a critical analysis of the Retrospec- cipal Baroque ensembles with their axial layouts, and the Gründer-
tive Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (RSoOUV) and its official zeit constructions from the beginning of the modern period.
German translation, based on which the World Heritage property was
included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. At the beginning of the 12th century the settlement here expand-
ed beyond the Roman defences, which were demolished. During
3.1 OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE OF THE UNESCO-WORLD HERITAGE the Ottoman conflicts in the 16th and 17th centuries, the medieval
PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA town’s walls, which surrounded a much larger area, were rebuilt
and provided with bastions. This remained the core of Vienna until
The World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna was included in the the medieval walls were demolished in the second half of the 19th
World Heritage List in 2001 during the 25th meeting of the World Heritage century. The inner city contains a number of medieval-era build-
Committee in Helsinki in accordance with criteria (ii), (iv) and (vi) (Deci- ings, including the Schattenkloster, the oldest monastery in Austria,
sion 25 COM XA). With regard to the Outstanding Universal Value, the fol- the churches of Maria am Gestade (one of the main Gothic struc-
lowing Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (RSoOUV) tures), Michaelerkirche, Minoritenkirche and Minoritenkloster from
was subsequently drafted and officially approved in 2016 (WHC/16/40. the 13th century, and St Stephen’s Cathedral, which dates from the
COM/19). The text marked in red was emphasised by the authors, since 14th and 15th centuries. The same period also saw the construc-
this plays a decisive role for the critical analysis of the RSoOUV: tion of civic ensembles, such as initial parts of the Hofburg palace.
Whereas the monastic complexes were generally built of stone,
AUSTRIA becoming part of the defences of the medieval city, the residential
Historic Centre of Vienna quarters were of timber and suffered frequent fires.
Brief synthesis In 1683, Vienna became the capital of the Habsburg Empire and
Vienna, situated on the Danube River in the eastern part of Austria, developed rapidly, becoming an impressive Baroque city. The Ba-
developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a medie- roque character was expressed particularly in the large palace lay-
val and Baroque city, eventually becoming the capital of the Aus- outs such as the Belvedere Palace and garden ensemble. A growing
tro-Hungarian Empire. lt played an essential role as the leading number of new palaces were built by noble families, many existing
European music centre, hosting major personalities in the devel- medieval buildings, churches, and convents were altered and given
opment of music from the 16th to the 20th centuries, particularly Baroque features, and additions were made to representative ad-
Viennese Classicism and Romanticism, consolidating Vienna’s rep- ministrative buildings. Several historic Viennese buildings are now

associated with the residence of important personalities such as lntegrity

Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, when the city played an essential Within the boundaries of the 371 ha Historic Centre of Vienna are
role as a leading European centre for music. located all the attributes that sustain its Outstanding Universal Val-
ue, including its architectural and urban qualities and layout, and
A new phase in the history of Vienna took place when its 34 suburbs that illustrate its three major phases of development - medieval,
were incorporated into the city and the emperor ordered the dem- Baroque, and the Gründerzeit - that symbolize Austrian and cen-
olition of the fortifications around the inner city. The opportunity tral European history. The Historic Centre of Vienna has also main-
was taken to create one of the most significant 19th century ensem- tained its characteristic skyline. The 462 ha buffer zone protects the
bles in the history of urban planning, which greatly influenced the immediate setting of the inscribed property.
rest of Europe in this crucial period of social and economic devel-
opment. In 1874, the Hofburg complex was extended with the addi- Authenticity
tion of the Neue Hofburg, an ‘Imperial Forum’, and joined with large The property is substantially authentic in terms of its location, its
museum complexes into a single ensemble. The Burgtheater, par- forms and designs, and its substance and materials. This authentici-
liament, town hall, and university formed another ensemble linked ty resides largely in the overlapping and multi-layered interweaving
with these structures. To this was added the opera house as well of urban buildings, structures, and spaces. The property has to a re-
as a large number of public and private buildings along the Ring- markable degree retained the architectural elements that demon-
strasse, on the line of the demolished city walls. The late 19th and strate its continuous interchange of values through authentic ex-
early 20th centuries testify to further creative contributions by Vien- amples from the above-mentioned three key periods of European
nese designers, artists, and architects in the periods of the Jugend- cultural and political development. In addition to the architectural
stil (Art Nouveau), the Secession, and the early Modem Movement elements, the Historic Centre of Vienna has retained its role as the
in architecture. music capital of Europe.
The historic urban fabric of the Historic Centre of Vienna is thus
Criterion (ii): The urban and architectural qualities of the Historic informed by this ongoing interchange, which has caused the ur-
Centre of Vienna bear outstanding witness to a continuing inter- ban landscape to evolve and grow over time, reflected in the new,
change of values throughout the second millennium. emerging skyline outside the buffer zone. Vienna’s continuing de-
Criterion (iv): Three key periods of European cultural and polit- velopment requires a very sensitive approach that takes into ac-
ical development - the Middle Ages, the Baroque period, and the count the attributes that sustain the Outstanding Universal Value
Gründerzeit - are exceptionally well illustrated by the urban and ar- of the property, including its visual qualities, particularly regarding
chitectural heritage of the Historic Centre of Vienna. new high-rise constructions.
Criterion (vi): Since the 16th century Vienna has been universally
acknowledged to be the musical capital of Europe. Protection and management requirements
About 75% of the property is in private ownership, 18% is publicly
owned, and 7% is owned by the Roman Catholic Church. Various

legal instruments at both federal and municipal/provincial levels ally recognised “Vienna Memorandum” on managing historic urban
Table 3.1: Retrospective
protect the Historic Centre of Vienna and its buffer zone. These in- landscapes. Since then, planning authorities in Vienna have paid
Statement of Outstan-
clude the Federal Monument Protection Act (Federal Law Gazette particular attention to new, sustainable, appropriate conservation ding Universal Value
No. 533/1923, the most recent amendment entering into force on policies. As a result, the Urban Development Plan was revised in (RSoOUV)
1 January 2000), and the municipal Building Code, with its Amend- line with the stipulations of the Memorandum. Efforts must be con-
ment on Old Town Conservation (Vienna Law Gazette No. 16/1972). tinued to ensure the coherence of new developments with the Out-
Parts of Vienna fall under the regulations of the Vienna Nature Con- standing Universal Value of the Historic Centre of Vienna, especially
servation Act (from 1998). Other legal instruments, such as the Ga- of high-rise buildings outside the buffer zone.
rages Act and the Tree Preservation Act, are also relevant.
The official translation of the RSoOUV reads as follows10:
In addition to these regulations, the Province of Vienna has adopted
a Land Use Plan and Urban Development Plans as planning instru- Kurzzusammenfassung: Eine offizielle Übersetzung der Kurz-
ments. The Land Use Plan, which on a scale of 1 :2000 is a more pre- zusammenfassung (Brief Synthesis) liegt nicht vor. [Anm. d. Autoren]
cise version of the Urban Development Plan, divides the metropol-
itan area into green zones, development zones, and infrastructure Kriterium ii: Die städtebaulichen und architektonischen Qual-
zones. The Urban Development Plan lays down the spatial dimen- itäten des historischen Zentrums von Wien sind überragende Ze-
sions of the protection zones as defined under the Vienna Old Town ugnisse eines fortwährenden Wandels von Werten während des
Conservation Act. The Management Plan, which was elaborated in zweiten Jahrtausends.
2002, refers to the two World Heritage properties in Vienna (Historic
Centre of Vienna, and Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn). The plan Kriterium iv: Drei Hauptperioden europäischer Kultur und
fulfils objectives related to formalizing the procedures for the legal politischer Entwicklung – Mittelalter, Barock und Gründerzeit –
protection of cultural properties, and to defining the urban admin- werden in außergewöhnlicher Form durch das städtebauliche und
istrative structures for cultural assets as well as the necessary mea- architektonische Erbe des historischen Zentrums von Wien darg-
sures for the preservation of the cultural heritage (heritage which estellt.
has to meet the requirements of ‘authenticity’, design, material, and
artisanship). Kriterium vi: Seit dem 16. Jahrhundert ist Wien weltweit als die
musikalische Hauptstadt Europas anerkannt.
Sustaining the attributes that support the Outstanding Universal
Value, authenticity, and integrity of the property over time will re- Integrität: Innerhalb der Grenzen des 371 Hektar großen his-
quire addressing the challenges related to development pressures, torischen Zentrums von Wien finden sich alle Attribute, die seinen
visual impacts, and modernization of the historic fabric that arise
within the context of urban development in a prosperous capital
10 Agreed German work translation from the English (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1033).
city. Such challenges led to the adoption in 2005 of the internation- Translated by the Ausrian UNESCO Commission (Zsófia Kelm, Ricarda Goethals) on behalf of the
Federal Chancellery. The Brief Synthesis has not been translated into German to date.

außergewöhnlichen universellen Wert ausmachen. Hierzu zählen Anforderungen an Schutz und Management: Eine offizielle Über-
seine architektonische und urbane Qualität und sein Grundriss, setzung des Abschnitts Anforderungen an Schutz und Management
die die drei Hauptphasen der Entwicklung – Mittelalter, Barock (Protection and Management Requirements) liegt nicht vor. [Anm.
und Gründerzeit – veranschaulichen und die österreichische und d. Autoren]
zentraleuropäische Geschichte symbolisieren. Das historische Ze-
ntrum von Wien hat auch seine charakteristische Stadtsilhouette Initially, based on the key points of the Retrospective Statement of Out-
erhalten. Eine 462 Hektar große Pufferzone schützt die unmittel- standing Universal Value, it can be stated that the following three aspects
bare Umgebung der eingeschriebenen Stätte. play a decisive role with regard to Vienna’s urban structure (cf. Perspek-
tiven. Wien und das Weltkulturerbe11 and Chapters 7, 8, 9):
Authentizität: Die Stätte ist in Bezug auf ihre Lage, ihre Form und
ihre Gestaltung, ihre Substanz und auf ihre Materialien im Wes- • The medieval core of the city, building on the Roman town structure;
entlichen authentisch. Diese Authentizität ist hauptsächlich in • The major construction developments of the Baroque era, with the
den Überlagerungen und vielschichtigen Verflechtungen der ur- visual axes expanding in a wreath-like shape from the centre, which
banen Bauten, Strukturen und Räumen zu finden. Die Stätte hat are still characterised today by the former summer residences with
zu einem bemerkenswert hohen Grad architektonische Elemente their gardens;
bewahrt, die den kontinuierlichen Austausch von Werten durch • The urban restructuring of the city during the Gründerzeit, to the
authentische Beispiele aus den oben genannten drei Schlüs- world-famous buildings of early modernism12
selperioden der kulturellen und politischen Entwicklung Europas
veranschaulichen. Zusätzlich zu den architektonischen Element- However, closer inspection of the Retrospective Statement of Outstanding
en hat das historische Zentrum von Wien auch seine Rolle als Universal Value shows that this document contains inaccuracies leaving
Musikhauptstadt Europas beibehalten. space for different interpretations. Such room for interpretation has great
relevance in the framework of this assessment, which is why this will be
Das historische Stadtgefüge des historischen Zentrums von Wien considered in more detail below.
ist somit von diesem fortwährenden Austausch geprägt, der dazu
geführt hat, dass sich die Stadtlandschaft im Laufe der Zeit weit-
erentwickelt und vergrößert hat, was sich in der neu entstehen- 3.2 INACCURACIES IN THE DEFINITION OF ATTRIBUTES IN THE RSOOUV
den Stadtsilhouette außerhalb der Pufferzone widerspiegelt. Die
kontinuierliche Entwicklung Wiens verlangt einen sehr sensiblen The Integrity section refers to the fact that within the boundaries of the
Zugang, der die Eigenschaften des außergewöhnlichen univer- 371 ha Historic Centre of Vienna “are located all the attributes that sus-
sellen Werts der Stätte, einschließlich der visuellen Qualitäten, tain its Outstanding Universal Value” (architectural and urban qualities,
vor allem in Bezug auf die Errichtung neuer Hochhäuser berück- urban layout, characteristic skyline). The three major phases of the city’s
Table 3.2: Retrospective
Statement of Outstan-
sichtigt.
ding Universal Value – of- 11 Schmid, J., (2002), Perspektiven, Wien und das Weltkulturerbe. Sondernummer, p 61 et seqq.
ficial German translation 12 Ibid., p. 39

development – Medieval, Baroque and the Gründerzeit – are illustrated to the RSoOUV that “the historic urban fabric of the Historic Centre of Vienna
symbolize Austrian and central European history. is thus informed by this ongoing interchange, which has caused the urban
landscape to evolve and grow over time, reflected in the new, emerging
It is emphasised in the Authenticity section that the “property is sub- skyline outside the buffer zone”.
stantially authentic in terms of its location, its forms and designs, and its
substance and materials”, which “resides largely in the overlapping and The RSoOUV which serves to substantiate inscription on the World Heri-
multi-layered interweaving of urban buildings, structures and spaces”. At tage List is therefore contradictory. On the one hand, the authentic state
the same time, it is emphasised that Vienna‘s “continuing development of the historic skyline is referred to, and on the other hand, “the new,
requires a very sensitive approach that takes into account the attributes emerging skyline at the edge of the buffer zone” is stated to be result of
that sustain the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage prop- continuing interchange. This reference to the new emerging skyline at
erty, including its visual integrity, in particular regarding high-rise con- the edge of the buffer zone is therefore giving rise to misunderstandings.
structions”. Since it is not mentioned in the nomination file or in the ICOMOS evalua-
tion report or in the decision of the World Heritage Committee, this sen-
However, it is not detailed in the RSoOUV which attributes must be ab- tence has to be removed from the RSoOUV.13
solutely preserved because they are particularly important for the Out-
standing Universal Value. Therefore this aspect is considered in more de-
tail in Chapter 9 of this assessment. 3.4 INACCURACIES OF THE AUTHENTICITY REASONS IN THE RSOOUV
If reference to the authentic state of the historic skyline in the RSoOUV is

3.3 CONTRADICTIONS IN THE RSOOUV compared with the actual state the World Heritage property Historic Cen-
tre of Vienna was in at the time of inscription on the World Heritage List in
In Criterion ii of the RSoOUV it is emphasised that the urban and architec- 2001, it is clear that there are also inaccuracies, since in addition to the
tural qualities of the Historic Centre of Vienna “bear outstanding witness to Hochhaus Herrengasse built in 1932 and the Ringturm built in 1955, the
a continuing interchange of values throughout the second millennium”). Gartenbau-Hochhaus and the InterContinental Hotel had also been built in
the World Heritage area in the years 1963 and 1964 at the time of inscrip-
However, in the Authenticity section, it is only mentioned that “the Histor- tion of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. According
ic Centre of Vienna is thus informed by this ongoing interchange”). to the Vienna Building Code, both buildings have a storey height of more
than 35 metres and must therefore be classified as high-rise buildings.
These inaccuracies in the wording can easily lead to misunderstandings.
This problem is reflected in the Integrity section, where not only the ar- In addition, numerous buildings were realised from the 1960s in the direct
chitectural and urban quality and the layout of the city, but also “main- vicinity of today’s World Heritage area, in Leopoldstadt which is located
tenance of the characteristic skyline of the Historic Centre of Vienna” is
listed as a key attribute to justify inscription on the World Heritage List. 13 UNESCO (2010): Guidance on the preparation of retrospective Statements of Outstanding
At the same time, however, it is emphasised in the Authenticity section of Universal Value for World Heritage properties, www.whc.unesco/en/documents

north of the Danube Canal, and the Zollamtsviertel / Wien Mitte located
out of town off Wien River in Vienna’s 3rd district. Their scale and height
distinctively towers over the historical buildings of Vienna. These devel-
opments can be attributed among other things to the severe damage in
these areas during World War II.
Although reference was made in the nomination file to the fact that high-
rise buildings were realised moderately enough in order not to disturb the
authentic character of the historical appearance, the World Heritage Com-
mittee considered the high-rise development problematic already at the
time of inscription on the World Heritage List, and requested to combat
this development. For this reason, too, it is necessary to impeccably clari-
Abb. 3.1: Luftbild Wiens fy which characteristics sustain the criterion of authenticity in the RSoOUV.
aus dem Jahr 2002 (©
media wien, aus: Pers-
pektiven 2002) In the planning zone around the Heumarkt Area which is subject to de-
tailed assessment, it is particularly evident that various high-rise build-
ings were established already before the inscription in 2001, both in to-
day’s World Heritage area and in today’s buffer zone (in particular: Hilton
building and RZB building). As a consequence, it was impossible already
at the time of inscription on the World Heritage List to speak of complete
preservation of Vienna’s “characteristic skyline” of the World Heritage
property Historic Centre of Vienna.
3.5 INACCURACIES IN THE SECTION PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT

REQUIREMENTS OF THE RSOOUV
In the section Protection and management requirements of the Retrospective

Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, reference is made to “ the Manage-
ment Plan, which was elaborated in 2002, refers to the two World Heritage
properties in Vienna (Historic Centre of Vienna, and Palace and Gardens of
Abb. 3.2: Oben: Hoch-
häuser im Bereich des
Schönbrunn)”. However, the City of Vienna never officially put such a Manage-
Stadtparks (© Umwelt- ment Plan into effect (cf. Chapter 5 – Analysis of the development of the World
bericht Wien) Heritage property since its inscription on 2001 in the World Heritage List).

3.6 INACCURACIES IN THE TRANSLATION OF THE RSOOUV veloping the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna, which
is comprehensible and transparent for all stakeholders.
It addition, it must be stated that the text segments Brief Synthesis and
Protection and Management Requirements were not translated in the offi- To review the effects of the high-rise developments at the edge of the buf-
cial German translation of the RSoOUV. fer zone and of the planned Heumarkt Neu project on these attributes, the
first step of such attribute mapping will be to summarise essential steps
of Vienna’s urban development and of the narrower area of assessment
3.7 CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO THE RETRO- of the Ringstraße ensemble in bullet points in Chapters 7 and 8. On this
SPECTIVE STATEMENT OF OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE basis, the attributes which are relevant to the assessment will be listed in
a table and described in Chapter 9.
Overall, it must be stated that the wording of the RSoOUV in the original as
well as the German translation contains inaccuracies and contradictions
that may result in misunderstandings.
Therefore, the following measures are recommended:
• The inaccuracies in the wording of the English original should be elim-

inated (Criteria ii / Integrity: “continuing interchange of values” vs. Au-
thenticity: “ongoing interchange”).
• The inherent contradictions between the wording of the original
should be corrected by eliminating the reference to the “new, emerg-
ing skyline outside the buffer zone” (Integrity: “The Historic Centre of
Vienna has also maintained its characteristic skyline” vs. “…the His-
toric Centre of Vienna is thus informed by this ongoing interchange,
[…], reflected in the new, emerging skyline outside the buffer zone”.
• In this context, it is important to consider the actual state of Vienna‘s
historic skyline at the time of inscription in 2001 in a more differenti-
ated way, to avoid misunderstandings and different interpretations of
its ‘authentic state’.
• The two missing sections in the official German translation of the
RSoOUV should be added as soon as possible.
• The attributes mentioned in the RSoOUV should be defined in more
detail in the future in accordance with § 84 of the Operational Guide-
lines, resulting in a starting point for preserving and sustainably de-

39
4. PROTECTION INSTRUMENTS
Hereinafter, the major formal World Heritage specific instruments as well 4.1.2 Heritage Protection
as general protection instruments for the World Heritage property Histor- The federal law in which “restrictions in the disposal of items of historical,
ic Centre of Vienna will be analysed and summarised in keywords. At the artistic or cultural significance” are regulated in Austria dates back to the
end of the Chapter, recommendations are given which serve to optimise year 1923 (“Monument Protection Act”, Federal Law Gazette no. 533/1923,
protection of the World Heritage property. as amended)14;
Currently approx. 800 buildings in the World Heritage area Historic Centre
4.1 FORMAL WORLD HERITAGE SPECIFIC PROTECTION INSTRUMENTS of Vienna are listed, corresponding to nearly 50 percent of the building Fig. 4.1: Official map of
structure. 550 of them have been granted the status of a listed building the World Heritage
property Historic Centre
From a legal viewpoint, there are in general two key protection instru- since 2001, or listed status was confirmed. Since the Heritage Protection of Vienna (blue) and its
ments for the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna: As a Law was amended in 1999, publicly owned gardens can also be listed as buffer zone (red)
(© City of Vienna)
whole, the World Heritage is protected by protection zones (as part of
Building Code for Vienna, i.e. by virtue of a provincial act), and with regard 14 Perspektiven. (2002). Wien und das Weltkulturerbe.5. Die Rechtslage. p. 45
to its most important buildings, by their listed status (which is a federal
matter in Austria). The functioning of these two protection instruments
differs from the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and the Operational
Guidelines serving to implement the Convention, which are discussed in
detail below.
4.1.1 Spatial Planning Laws

Currently the spatial planning laws in the Austrian provinces do not con-
tain any reference to the UNESCO World Heritage properties. To use the
Spatial Planning Laws for the protection of UNESCO World Heritage prop-
erties and in particular Historic Urban Landscapes, the UNESCO World Her-
itage should be considered as an integral part of public concern, at least
in those Austrian provinces where World Heritage properties are located.
This approach has proved highly effective in Germany since the Spatial
Planning Law was amended accordingly.

a national monument. Accordingly, the gardens of the Wiener Hofburg § 62a para. 5a BO whether there is public interest in “… preserving the
Complex (Volksgarten, Heldenplatz, Burggarten, Maria-Theresien-Platz building because of its impact on the local cityscape…”. Demolition of
and Stadtpark) as well as Belvedere gardens have also been listed in the such a building requires a confirmation of Vienna’s City Administration.
area of the Historic Centre of Vienna.15 This applies to all buildings established before 1 January 1945, even if
they are not located within a protection zone. If no confirmation can be
The Austrian Federal Heritage Protection Act contains notes on the “prohi- given, the demolition will be subject to approval, and an application must
bition of destruction” of listed monuments. However, there are only very be filed to the building authority. The following applies according to the
few provisions on any obligation to preserve listed monuments (cf. §4 Building Code for Vienna (§ 60/1d): The demolition permit for buildings
para. 1 z 2 Monument Protection Act). This may possibly result in a loss of in protection zones and buildings established before 1 January 1945 may
historic building stock in the World Heritage area. be granted only if there is no public interest in preserving the building
because of its impact on the local cityscape, or if its condition is so bad
The Federal Heritage Protection Act does currently also not contain any that any repair is technically impossible, or if such repair would result in
provisions with regard to the protection of the surroundings and the pro- economically unreasonable expenses.
tection of visual axes with historical relevance. In addition, it does not
mention the UNESCO World Heritage as a public concern. This entails that Currently the Vienna Building Code does not contain any information on the
it may currently be used only in parts for the protection of Austrian UNES- protection status and the worthiness of protection, respectively, of UNESCO
CO World Heritage properties. World Heritage properties.
4.1.3 Vienna Building Code 4.1.4 Protection zones

The Vienna Building Code is an extensive Provincial Act of Vienna govern- Protection zones (in old town districts) were created on 7 July 1972 in the
ing the levels of urban planning, zoning and the entire construction sector course of an amendment of the Building Code (Altstadterhaltungsnovelle
(structural engineering, minimum room heights, minimum size of apart- 1972; Provincial Gazette no. 16/1972). The objective is to protect groups
ments, etc.). The Vienna Building Code has been in force since 1930 and of buildings which are characteristic of the cityscape (ensembles) from
has been amended several times since then.16 demolition or reshaping. Unlike monument protection, the listing of
building ensembles falls within the remit of the City of Vienna according
Recently an amendment was introduced with the objective of protect- to § 7 of the Building Code of 30 June 2018 (Prov. Gaz. no. 37/2018). The
ing Vienna‘s existing historic buildings, extending the protection of his- main focus is placed on the external appearance of the buildings.
torically valuable building stock with an initiative in Vienna’s City Council
regarding the Building Code in June 2018. With the help of the new code, In the Land-Use and Zoning plan, the areas which are considered worthy
the City will check in all buildings established before 1945 according to of preservation because of their external appearance are designated as
protection zones. The decisive factors for the designation of protection
15 Figures are based on information provided by the municipal authority of the City of VIENNA zones are the characterising building and space structure and the build-
MA19 - Architecture and Urban Planning. (2006). Vienna World Heritage. State of the Art, Vienna.
p. 63. An official confirmation of the figures by the Federal Monuments Office is pending.
ing stock, as well as other particular design elements and defining ele-
16 Perspektiven. (2002). Wien und das Weltkulturerbe.5. Die Rechtslage. p. 46 ments, which can be identified using criteria such as worthiness of con-

servation, originality, authenticity, effect on the cityscape, references of roof extensions, new buildings, etc. are submitted to the Urban Planning
the individual buildings in the literature, etc. New buildings, extensions and Urban Design Consulting Committee for review, before final verifica-
and conversions of buildings in the protection zones may be realised only tion by Municipal Department 19 (Architecture and Urban Planning).
with the approval of the building inspection department (Dep. 37) with
verification activities of Municipal Department 19 (Architecture and Urban Starting in 1997, Municipal Department 19 took an inventory of buildings
Planning) under certain preconditions. This will be determined by the to differentiate the protection zones more accurately, or redefine them.
provisions of § 85 of the Vienna Building Code on the “Exterior design of Since 1998, seventeen new protection zones have been determined. As a
buildings”. consequence, there are almost 135 protection zones in Vienna, with more
than 15,000 recorded buildings, corresponding to about eight to nine per
In general, major construction measures in the World Heritage area, f. ex. cent of Vienna’s building stock. In addition to the entire city centre as UN-
Fig. 4.2: Protection zo-

nes, World Heritage area
Historic Centre of Vienna
/ Schönbrunn Palace and
Gardens and their buffer
zones (© wien.at: City Ad-
ministration of the City of
Vienna, City Hall, A-1082
Wien, ViennaGIS)

ESCO World Heritage, these zones include parts of the Gründerzeit areas, • various provisions on the design of the buildings, f. ex. with regard to
and many old town centres, for example Spittelberg and Khleslplatz. bays, balconies, etc.;
Therefore, Vienna‘s World Heritage areas and the major part of their buf- According to the amendment of the Building Code for Vienna (2018), the
fer zones are currently covered by protection zones.17 Those parts of the drafts prepared by the City Administration for the determination and
buffer zone which are not designated as protection zone include buildings modification of zoning plans and development plans may be submitted
that do not support protection of the World Heritage property. For ex- to the Urban Planning and Urban Design Consulting Committee for review
ample, this concerns areas that were exposed to severe bombing during before submitting the applications to the City Council. However, it is im-
WW2, and therefore include mainly post-war building stock. But, here perative to submit zoning plans and development plans for areas of the
again, the following applies according to § 85 of the Vienna Building Code: World Heritage properties of Vienna and their buffer zone to the Consult-
“In areas surrounding the protection zones, these must be particularly ing Committee.
considered in the assessment.”
All members of the Consulting Committee are appointed by the Mayor.
In the World Heritage area Historic Centre of Vienna, currently only the Their activity is voluntary and independent.
Heumarkt Area is excluded from the protection zone.
Vienna‘s UNESCO World Heritage properties have not been recorded yet in
4.1.5 Zoning and development plan: Zoning limitations within the mean- the zoning plan. During the determination and modification of the zoning
ing of the World Heritage plans and development plans, the objectives which are exhaustively listed
The purpose of the zoning plans and the development plans is the organ- in the Vienna Building Code (§ 1 para. 2) must be taken into account.
ised and sustainable design and development of the urban area. They
are regulations of the Vienna City Council and form the legal basis of all
building activities. Within Vienna’s historic core area, preservation of the 4.2 GENERAL PLANNING AND PROTECTION INSTRUMENTS
historic stock is always assumed. In addition, following recommenda-
tions of the UNESCO, other more stringent provisions were included in the 4.2.1 STEP 2025 (Beschluss 2014)
planning documents, with the objective of preserving the architectural STEP 2025 (Urban Development Plan 2025), which was adopted by Vien-
heritage, for example: na’s City Council in 2014, focuses on the determination of general plan-
ning principles. These include for example stipulations from the gentle
• building regulations according to the existing building stock, development of the building stock, the development of intelligent mobil-
• restriction of attic floor extensions to 5.50 m above the existing eaves ity systems to the design and management of the free spaces and provi-
line, and the construction of no more than one attic, sion with social infrastructure, to name just a few aspects.
• prohibition of retreating floors,
4.2.2 STEP 2025 Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings (Decision 2014)
17 City Administration of the City of VIENNA MA19 - Architecture and Urban Planning. (2006).
STEP 2025 Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings is the instrument in
Vienna, World Heritage. The State of the Art. Vienna. p. 63 connection with the planning and project development of high-rise build-

ings which is relevant in Vienna. It replaces the high-rise building concept building potential (new buildings or alterations) are located within this
of 2002. Transitional provisions were established during the preparation area, and on the other hand, to comply with the obligations of the World
of the STEP 2025 Concept for High-Rise Buildings (2014). Heritage status.18
STEP 2025 Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings works with complete- 4.2.4 Management plan for the UNESCO World Heritage property: Strate-
ly different methods than those used for the thematic concept of 2002. gies, instruments and stakeholders (planned)
For example, unlike the Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings 2002, it The Operational Guidelines require a Management Plan for each World
does no longer provide for exclusion zones for high-rise buildings. The Heritage property, with a description of the strategies, instruments and
focus is now placed on the definition of process steps in the development stakeholders contributing to protect the World Heritage property in its
of high-rise projects, and the related significance of the added value of uniqueness, and preserve it for subsequent generations (Operational
a high-rise project for the general public. Therefore, in accordance with Guidelines, §108-118).
these methods, the current Concept for High-Rise Buildings of 2014 does
not define any high-rise suitability or exclusion zones in the traditional Even before the city centre of Vienna was nominated for UNESCO World
sense. Nevertheless, high-rise developments in nature and landscape Heritage, there were binding rules in Vienna for the cooperation between
conservation areas are excluded. Security zones of Vienna Airport, pro- urban conservation and urban development, in order to protect the city’s
tection zones according to § 7 of Vienna‘s Building Code and in particular historic building stock. These strategies and measures represent the key
the areas of the World Heritage properties and their buffer zones require elements of the World Heritage management with regard to content and
increased attention for the assessment of high-rise projects. organisation.
4.2.3 Glacis Master Plan for the periphery of the World Heritage (year 2014) To date, no Management Plan has been officially adopted by the Vienna
On the initiative of the City of Vienna, the so-called Glacis Master Plan City Council (cf. K5). As a consequence, there is no integrated politically
was developed in 2014. Until about the middle of the 19th century, the decided control instrument for the World Heritage property Historic Cen-
so-called Glacis was located in the periphery of the World Heritage prop- tre of Vienna and its buffer zone.
erty Historic Centre of Vienna. This area surrounded Vienna’s city wall at
that time, roughly corresponding to today’s Ringstraße incl. the so-called 4.2.5 Proposed resolution (year 2017)
Zweier-Linie (cf. K8), and was kept clear of any buildings for strategic mili- In 2017, the Vienna City Council decided on the basis of a proposed reso-
tary reasons. After the city wall was demolished and Vienna was massive- lution not to construct any more high-rise buildings in Vienna’s city centre
ly expanded in the 2nd half of the 19th century, buildings were erected on and in the area covered by the Glacis Master Plan.19 In detail, the following
most parts of the Glacis. aspects are mentioned in the proposed resolution:
The objective of the Glacis Master Plan is to identify the possible urban
development potentials and restrictions for this area located in the pe- 18 City Administration of the City of Vienna. (2014). MA 19 – Architecture and Urban Develop-
ment, The Historic Centre of Vienna. World Cultural Heritage and Vibrant Hub. p. 39
riphery of the historic city centre. The purpose is to respond on a strate- 19 Zunke, R. (2018). Existing and planned instruments and measures of urban planning to protect
gic level on the one hand to the fact that individual inner-city areas with the World Heritage property. Version dated 18 June 2018, MD-BD, KPP. p.1

a) The City of Vienna acknowledges the historically grown skyline of its 4.3 SUPPORTING PLANNING AND PROTECTION INSTRUMENTS
city centre. However, the existing development dynamics should be
used as an opportunity to continue to build the city in the interest of its 4.3.1 Old City Preservation Fund
citizens and in compliance with the highest cultural standards. Vienna‘s Old City Preservation Fund was established simultaneously with
b) The City of Vienna acknowledges that no new high-rise sites, no addi- the Old City Preservation Amendment adopted in 1972 (cf. 4.1.3), making
tional high-rise buildings and no extensions of existing high-rise build- available public funds for the conservation and renovation of Vienna’s
ings are planned and enacted in the Innere Stadt district. historic building stock.
c) The City of Vienna further acknowledges that no new high-rise sites
are planned and enacted in the area described by the Glacis Master A major focus here is the funding of measures in the protection zones
Plan. which take effect in the cityscape. Works carried out at prominent listed
monuments are funded just as securing buildings which are typical for a
The City Council clarifies that any interpretation of the thematic guide- particular time and form an essential part of the historically grown city.
lines Glacis Master Plan and Concept for High-Rise Buildings conflicting The Old City Preservation Fund finances the additional costs related to
with this acknowledgment are not admissibled.20 monument protection for the restoration measures.
4.2.6 Study ‚Der Umgang mit Blickbeziehungen im städtischen Gefüge. 4.3.2 Wien Kulturgut: Data with cultural relevance accessible in real time
Blickziele und Ausblickspunkte‘ (in preparation) Wien Kulturgut, the digital cultural map of the City of Vienna, is an inter-
Municipal Department 19 (Architecture and Urban Design) is currently net platform enabling access to important identifying features of the city.
working on a Study on the issues of visual connections in Vienna.21 It is Comprehensive maps show Vienna‘s cultural history and urban planning
intended to develop an analysis method for future planning procedures development from earliest times to the present day. Wien-Kulturgut for
and project developments for the purpose of taking account of the urban example includes a digital detailed plan on the age of the buildings in Vi-
landscape characterising cityscape, in particular the two UNESCO World enna’s city centre.
Heritage properties in Vienna.
The user is granted access to these subjects on www.wien.gv.at/kultur-
This project has not been completed yet. portal/public using the electronic multi-purpose map (city map) and a
geographical information system, to increase knowledge of the values of
Vienna’s cultural heritage.
4.3.3 3D model of Vienna’s city centre

The City of Vienna developed a 3D model of the city centre showing the
20 Chorherr, C., Kickert (Grüne), D. J., Kubik, G., Al-Rawi, O. und Bluma, S. (2017). Proposed reso-
building volumes in the World Heritage area und the buffer zone of the
lution on the protection and development of the historic city cenre of the city of Vienna. Submitted UNESCO World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. The World Her-
in the City Council Meeting of 5 May 2017 zur Post 23 Wien, 5 May 2017
21 Zunke, R. (2018). Existing and planned instruments and measures of urban planning to protect
itage area which is marked in blue has a size of approx. 3.7 km2 with about
the World Heritage property. Version dated 18 June 2018, MD-BD, KPP. p. 2 1,600 buildings, the buffer zone marked in yellow with a size of 4.6 km2 in-

cludes around 2,950 buildings. Overall, the size and number of buildings
account for about 2 percent of the city area and the number of houses in
Vienna.
With the digital 3D city model, the City of Vienna provides a basis for the
present-day urban planning. This includes the following areas of appli-
cation:
• Based on the ground elevations and building heights from the

multi-purpose map (digital city map of Vienna), the corresponding
software calculates a three-dimensional image, which allows for an
early identification and assessment in planning projects, f. ex. of the
effects of buildings on visual connections.
• The 3D city model may be used in connection with the assessment of
compatibility with the status of the UNESCO World Heritage property.
• These 3D models may also serve as an important basis for discussion
in participatory planning processes.
Processing of the data has the primary objective of providing basic data
for the planning, and does not serve for the marketing presentation of
illustrative 3D images of the city. Therefore the timeliness of the data is
essential. As a consequence, only such data is recorded for which it can be
guaranteed that it is updated in regular intervals. During the three-years
continuation cycle of the multi-purpose map, one third of Vienna will be
inspected and updated each year. The data is supplemented by the image ects Vienna Central Train Station, Kometgründe office project, and the Fig. 4.3: 3D model of
flight covering all of Vienna’s city area, which is performed once a years.22 urban development along Vienna’s Danube Canal. These studies were Vienna’s city centre (©
City Administration of
technically and scientifically accompanied by Municipal Department 41 – the City of Vienna)
4.3.4 Visualisation studies for Vienna as a result of UNESCO recommen- Surveyors, were built upon scientific foundations, and convey an objec-
dations tively assessable picture of the effects these urban developments have on
Over the last years, the City of Vienna carried out several visualisation the Outstanding Universal Value of the two World Heritage properties His-
studies. They were a result among other things of the two planned proj- toric Centre of Vienna and Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens. Another key
issue of the visualisation studies was the urban development along the
22 City Administration of the City of Vienna. (2014). MA 19 – Architecture and Urban Design, Vienna
Danube Canal, where a major part of the Gründerzeit buildings were de-
– Innere Stadt World Heritage and lively centre. p. 42-43 stroyed by bombs and fighting during the last weeks of the Second World

War, and numerous high-rise buildings were constructed as part of the be used to protect Austrian UNESCO World Heritage properties and
reconstructions in the decades after the end of WWII. in particular Historical Urban Landscapes and Cultural Landscapes.
The technical basis for the visualisations is the recording of the entire 2. Austrian Monument Protection Act: The Austrian Monument Protec-
city area by Airborne Laser Scanning. First of all, a visibility analysis of the tion Act should be updated in the near future so that the Austrian
entire area is created, showing each individual point on the relevant city UNESCO World Heritage is anchored as public interest to be taken
map section from which new building projects are visible. In a second into account. To meet the protection requirements of the UNESCO
step, the actual effects on the cityscape are represented in sequences of World Heritage Convention, it would also be essential to encourage
photomontages. The sites are selected in agreement with the experts of the listing of building ensembles and to establish regulations on the
ICOMOS Austria (the International Council on Monuments and Sites). protection of surrounding areas and the protection of relevant visu-
al axes. In addition, it is important to incorporate the obligation to
The skyline any viewer would see in the future after realisation of a maintain monuments more distinctively than before.
planned building project was compared with historic vedute of the city.
In addition to such visual comparison of the historic and future view, high 3. Vienna Building Code: The Vienna Building Code should promptly be
points of the city were visualised (f. ex. Upper Belvedere, Kahlenberg, Wil- amended by a clause mentioning the worthiness of protection of Vi-
helminenberg, Donauturm, St. Stephen’s Cathedral), to show what these enna’s UNESCO World Heritage, so that the verification of the World
projects will look like in the future municipal area of Vienna.23 Heritage compatibility in any planning processes is firmly laid down
in law. Strict attention should be paid to an effective supervision
of §129 of the Vienna Building Code (obligation to preserve monu-
4.4 CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDATIONS SUPPLEMENTING PROTEC- ments).
TION INSTRUMENTS
4. Protection zones: The entire area of the World Heritage property His-
The analysis of World Heritage specific formal and general planning and toric Centre of Vienna should be defined as a protection zone. This
protection instruments at the level of the Federal Republic of Austria and refers in particular to the Heumarkt Area, which is currently excluded
the City of Vienna leads to the conclusion that the existing instruments from the protection zone.
are in general sufficient to protect the World Heritage property Historic
Centre of Vienna, but the following amendments are necessary: 5. Zoning und development plans: The existing World Heritage areas and
their buffer zones should be recorded in Vienna‘s zoning plan with
1. Regional Planning Laws in Austria: The UNESCO World Heritage maps and written details, so that any potential for conflict can be
should be mentioned as part of the public interest, at least in the identified already in the run-up to any planning processes where pos-
Austrian provinces with World Heritage properties, so that they can sible (Please note: In the city map of wien.at-> Zoning and development
plan, Vienna’s World Heritage properties are shown). According to the
23 City Administration der Stadt Wien. (2014). MA 19 – Architecture and Urban Design, The Historic
Building Regulations Amendment 2018, drafts may be submitted for
Centre of Vienna. World Cultural Heritage and Vibrant Hub p. 41

review to the Urban Planning and Urban Design Consulting Commit- was not submitted to the City Council for decision, but was only re-
tee before filing the applications to the City Council, and they have corded by the Urban Development Commission (11.11.2014).
to be submitted to the Consulting Committee if the plans are expect-
ed to result in major structural, functional, design or environmental 8. Management Plan: Based on already existing planning instruments
impacts. According to the commentary on the new Building Code, and relevant manuals, the City of Vienna should promptly establish
such major change applies if the planning area is located in the World a Management Plan for Vienna’s World Heritage, that clearly defines
Heritage area or in the buffer zones of Vienna’s Wiener World Heritage strategic objectives for the sustainable development of Vienna’s
properties. World Heritage properties according to §108-118 of the Operational
Guidelines. The aim is to subsequently have the City Council officially
6. STEP 2025 Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings: The Thematic confirm and bring the Management Plan into force.
Concept for High-Rise Buildings should be supplemented with ex-
clusion zones, that clearly define the areas and visual corridors in
which the construction of buildings with a height of more than 35
metres is inadmissible. For the purpose of the Proposed Resolution
2017, the World Heritage area Historic Centre of Vienna and its buffer
zone should be included in such exclusion zone, in order to avoid any
misunderstandings. The maps of the STEP 2025 Thematic Concept for
High-Rise Buildings should also include a distinctive indication of Vi-
enna’s World Heritage properties and their buffer zones with maps.
7. Amendment of Glacis Master Plan: For the purpose of the Proposed

Resolution 2017, the Glacis Master Plan should be further elaborated
and specified, resulting f. ex. in clear qualitative statements on the
maximum building heights in the planning area. The Glacis Master
Plan does not have the objective of making statements on the di-
mension of structural developments, but rather it should be clarified
proactively for the entire area of the Ringstraße ensemble whether
and where any structural developments should actually be acceler-
ated. To avoid any misunderstandings, it still seems reasonable to
define maximum and minimum building heights, which should now
be based on the Master Plan.
In the legal sense, the Glacis Master Plan is no planning concept as

defined in §2 para. 7 of the Building Regulations for Vienna, since it

49
5. DEVELOPMENTS OF THE WORLD HERITAGE

PROPERTY SINCE 2001
The task includes among others the “Analysis of the development of the 5.1 CONTROVERSIALLY DISCUSSED HIGH-RISE PROJECTS AND THEIR
historic centre of Vienna since inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage LOCATION WITHIN THE CITY Fig. 5.1: World Heritage
area, buffer zone and
List in 2001, considering the “cumulative negative effects” (i.a. Report of planned high-rise areas
the Advisory Mission 2015)24” (cf. Chapter 1). As a consequence, the next The following high-rise projects have caused particularly controversial that played an important
step of the analysis is an overview of key development steps of the World discussions in the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna since role for the development
of the World Heritage
Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna since its inscription in the year its inscription on the World Heritage List in 2001: property Historic Centre
2001. of Vienna since its
inscription on the World
• High-rise projects Wien Mitte / Zollamtsviertel Heritage List (© City
The experts would like to expressly mention that the overview document- • High-rise projects at Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt Administration of the
ed in this assessment cannot claim to be exhaustive, which is due to the • High-rise projects at Vienna Central Train Station City of Vienna / mkphc)
already 17 years of ‘history’ of the World Heritage property Historic Centre • High-rise project Heumarkt Neu
of Vienna, and the wide range of different decisions and recommenda-
tions made during this time. As a consequence, for the purpose of the
task set, the next Chapter focuses exclusively on the effects of high-rise
projects in and around the World Heritage area, and their relation to de-
cisions and recommendations of the UNESCO World Heritage Committees,
ICOMOS International and the City of Vienna with regard to the World Her-
itage property.
For the sake of clarity, the overview presented below was limited to key
steps and high-rise projects which are subject to particularly controver-
sial discussion. A complete overview in the form of a table on all decisions
of the above-mentioned stakeholders with regard to high-rise projects in
Vienna is attached as an Appendix to this assessment (Chapter 13.1).
24 ICOMOS (2015): Reactive monitoring mission for the World Heritage property “Historic Centre of
Vienna” (Mission Report)

The preceding illustration shows the World Heritage area Historic Centre The graphic illustrates that an even more severe polarisation has oc-
of Vienna, its buffer zone, and the locations of these high-rise projects. The curred in this communication process between the UNESCO World Heri-
image illustrates that the high-rise projects have been planned in the pe- tage Committee and ICOMOS International on the one side, and the City of
ripheries of the World Heritage area and its buffer zone, respectively, with Vienna on the other side, which is due to the different high-rise projects.
the exception of the Heumarkt Neu project. In contrast, the Heumarkt Neu The following four phases can be distinguished:
project is currently planned within the World Heritage area.
>Phase 1: Discussions on the Wien Mitte project (2001 – 2005):
5.2 EFFECTS OF THE HIGH-RISE PROJECTS • In response to the concerns expressed by the World Heritage Commit-
tee and ICOMOS International against the Wien Mitte high-rise project,
The graphic below illustrates how the above-mentioned high-rise projects the Hochhäuser Wien. Städtebauliche Leitlinien25 high-rise concept
affected basic decisions of the key stakeholders – UNESCO World Heritage is created in 2002. In this document, exclusion zones for high-rises
Committee, ICOMOS International and City of Vienna. The period since the buildings are defined among other things.
inscription of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna on the
UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 is considered for this purpose. • The publication Perspectives; Vienna and the World Heritage26 which
was also published in 2002 decidedly deals with the development of
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee and ICOMOS International repeat- Vienna’s historical urban structure and existing protection instruments
edly recommended to restrict the building height of the relevant high-rise as a basis of the future management of the World Heritage property.
projects (see box 1 – UNESCO/ICOMOS recommendations). The City of Vi- It also includes a Chapter titled “The Management Plan”27, which also
enna responded to these recommendations with the following measures: contains a dedicated time schedule for its completion. However, this
Management Plan is not officially put into effect by the City of Vienna.
• New plans of overriding importance were created, and supporting
planning instruments were developed to control conservation of the • This first phase is finally completed with the World Heritage and Con-
World Heritage in connection with the future urban development (see temporary Architecture conference held in Vienna, where the Wiener
box 2 – Planning and protection instruments). Memorandum is adopted. In reaction to this, UNESCO passed the Rec-
• Publications are published that deal with the World Heritage property ommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape 28 in 2011. With this doc-
Historic Centre of Vienna with regard to Vienna’s urban development. ument, UNESCO and its consulting organisation ICOMOS intend to de-
The issue of the World Heritage management and the development of fine key guidelines for dealing with complex Historic Urban Landscapes,
a Management Plan, respectively, also play an essential role in these for example the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna.
publications die (see box 3 – Documentation and publication).
• In this context, the City of Vienna also holds international congresses 25 Urban Development of Vienna; Municipal Department 18. (2002). High-rise buildings in Vien-
that deal with these different issues that arise when dealing with the na Urban Development Guidelines, Workshop Report no. 46.
26 Perspektiven. (2002). Vienna and the World Heritage. p 61 et seqq
UNESCO World Heritage. 27 Ibid. p 61 et seqq.
28 UNESCO (2011): Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape.

Fig. 5.2: Planning and

decision-making phases
(© mkphc)

> Phase 2: Discussions on high-rise projects on Danube Canal and the new the maximum building height of the project, the STEP 2025 Thematic
Central Train Station (2006 – 2010) Concept for High-Rise Buildings31 is created and adopted in 2014 within
the framework of the Urban Development Plan STEP 2025 (cf. Chap-
• In response to the concerns expressed by the World Heritage Commit- ter 4). In contrast to the high-rise concept adopted in 2002, the STEP
tee and ICOMOS International regarding high-rise buildings planned at 2025 Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings does no longer provide
the Danube Canal and the new Central Train Station, the City of Vienna for exclusion zones. They are replaced by a new system, according to
increasingly develops and uses technical instruments. This includes which it is allowed to construct high-rise buildings if their public add-
for example a digital city model that can be used as a basis for a Visu- ed value can be substantiated. The request of UNESCO World Heritage
al Impact Study, which serves to study the influences of the high-rise Committee and of ICOMOS International for height restrictions and
projects on the Outstanding Universal Value of Vienna’s World Heri- keeping the World Heritage area free from high-rise projects is, how-
tage properties.29 Nevertheless the Raiffeisenhochhaus project is con- ever, not taken into account.
structed between 2010-2012 at Danube Canal, having its vertex dis-
tinctively above the historic skyline and the mountain ranges behind. • Also in 2014, the Glacis Master Plan32 is developed as an overall plan-
ning and protection instrument for the Ringstraße ensemble (cf. Chap-
• The publication Vienna, World Heritage – State of the Art30 issued in ter 4). The objective of the plan is to develop a master concept for the
2006 deals in its second part again with the management of Vienna’s Ringstraße ensemble to “better understand future developments in
World Heritage properties. The Chapter “Management Plan for Vien- their mutual connections, and design and assess their development
na’s World Heritage Sites” is supplemented by several essays address- according to criteria that exceed the scale of individual architectur-
ing different areas of responsibility of the management. However, al projects.”33 The discussions on the Heumarkt Neu project should
there has been no official adoption of a Management Plan by the City therefore be embedded in a general development model for the Ring-
of Vienna at that time either. straße ensemble. Existing visual axes are expressly taken into account
in the Glacis Master Plan. However, no recommendations are made to
> Phase 3: Discussions on the Heumarkt Neu project (2011-2017) restrict the building heights in the area of the Ringstraße ensemble.
• A third phase in dealing with the UNESCO World Heritage in Vienna is • Also in the year 2014, the publication The Historic Centre of Vienna,
initiated after the planning on the Heumarkt Neu project started. In re- World Cultural Heritage and Vibrant Hub was issued. This publication
sponse to the critical statements and recommendations of the UNES- places strong emphasis on the fact that the City of Vienna and therefore
CO World Heritage Committee and ICOMOS International with regard to the UNESCO World Heritage are subject to continuous development.
29 City of Vienna and future Vienna. (2009). Visual Impact Study for the UNESCO World Herita-
ge properties „Historic City Centre of Vienna” and “Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens”. Review of 31 City of Vienna / Vienna ahead (District Planning and Land Use). (n.d.). STEP 2025, Thematic
possible effects of the Vienna Central Train Station and Kometgründe projects on the Outstanding Concept, High-Rise Buildings, Strategies for the Planning and Assessment of High-Rise Projects.
Universal Value (OUV) based on the recommendations of the UNESCO Committee acct. to its 33rd 32 City of Vienna / Vienna ahead (District Planning and Land Use). (2015). City Administration of
meeting in June 2009 in Sevilla (Decisions 33. COM 7B.89 and 33. COM 7B.90). the City of VIENNA MA21 - District Planning and Land Use, Glacis Master Plan.
30 City of Vienna and future Vienna. (2006). Vienna’s Urban Development: Urban Design. Vienna 33 City of Vienna / Vienna ahead (District Planning and Land Use). (2015). City Administration of
World Heritage, The State of the Art. p 66 et seqq the City of VIENNA MA21 - District Planning and Land Use, Glacis Master Plan, p. 6

• In general, this third phase is characterised by strong polarisation 5.3 CONCLUSION: STAGED PROGRESS OF VIENNA‘S ‘WORLD HERITAGE
between the City of Vienna on the one side, and the UNESCO World STORY’
Heritage Committee and ICOMOS International on the other side. In
2017, inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger is achieved Overall, the third step of analysing the development of the World Heritage
and confirmed again in 2018. property Historic Centre of Vienna since 2001 in connection with high-rise
projects leads to the following result:
> Phase 4: from 2017
a) Decisions are continuously dominated by high-rise projects:
In recent times, on the other hand, there have been increasing signs that
the City of Vienna is seeking communication with the UNESCO World Heri- In general, the development story of the World Heritage property as
tage Committee and ICOMOS International again: well as the decisions of the key stakeholders have been continuously
dominated by the various high-rise projects in and around the World
• In the second half of the year 2017, the City of Vienna decided to join Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna:
the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC).
• The inscription in 2001 was already overlaid by discussions on the
• It is planned for 2019 to organise an international conference entitled Wien Mitte high-rise project.
Cities Facing Development and Preservation. This shall in particular • This was followed by disputes over high-rise projects on the Danube
address the compatibility of the preservation of World Heritage prop- Canal, which were then again replaced by discussions on high-rise
erties within big cities. buildings around Vienna’s Central Train Station (to mention only the
most important projects).
• A new study on visual axes in the city34 is currently prepared. • There have been controversies regarding the Heumarkt Neu project
since 2011.
• The authors were also assured by representatives of the City of Vienna • A major part of the high-rise projects under discussion is the result of
that there are plans to establish and officially implement a Manage- competition procedures. At least occasionally, the awarding authority
ment plan for the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. argues with regard to the Wien Mitte project as well as the Heumarkt
Neu project that the jury’s conclusion is legitimating these plans, so to
speak. However, it was overlooked that the World Heritage concerns
were not formulated as clear requirements to the concepts.
b) Impact on World Heritage relevant planning instruments, and declin-

ing binding force of planning instruments:
34 ARGE BWM Feller Tabor (2018): Dealing with visual connections in the urban structure. Visual
These discussions also affected the development of World Heritage
targets and viewpoints.

relevant general planning instruments. For example, there is a direct

link between the development process of the planned Heumarkt Neu
project and the revision of the STEP 2025 Thematic Concept for High-
Rise Buildings dating from 2002. Dropping the exclusion zones should
obviously enable this project development in the first place.
In the course of discussions on high-rise projects by the City of Vienna,

the planning instruments which have been elaborated with regard to
the UNESCO World Heritage therefore gradually lose their binding force.
c) Impact on relevant publications on Vienna’s World Heritage:
It is also obvious that the creation of relevant publications on Vienna’s

World Heritage is clearly connected with Vienna’s high-rise issues. With
the increasing polarisation between the UNESCO World Heritage Commit-
tee and ICOMOS International on the one side, and the City of Vienna on the
other side, stronger emphasis is placed on the necessity of development.
d) Resumption of dialogue between the stakeholders involved:
There was another change after inscription on the List of World Heritage in
Danger in 2017, which was confirmed in 2018. In recent times, it became
clear that the City of Vienna actively addresses the World Heritage prop-
erty Historic Centre of Vienna again. These activities led to an intensified
communication between the parties involved, resulting for example in
the UNESCO/ICOMOS Advisory Mission carried out in November 2018. The
City of Vienna is now also actively involved in the Organization of World
Heritage Cities (OWHC).

6. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNED HEUMARKT NEU

PROJECT
This Chapter gives a description of the planned Heumarkt Neu project.

For analysing the positive and negative effects of the planned project on
the Outstanding Universal Value of the UNESCO World Heritage property
Historic Centre of Vienna, the current status of the plans is relevant as a
basis for the assessment. Therefore, the summarised project description
(see 6.2) mainly refers to such current planning status.
6.1 LOCATION IN THE CITY AND EXISTING SITUATION
The project area of the planned Heumarkt Neu project covers an area of
approx. 15,400 sqm and is located on the existing property of the Inter-
Continental Hotel and the ice-skating area of Vienna’s Ice-Skating Club
(WEV). The building complex that covers the project area also includes
Vienna’s Konzerthaus in the south-west, as well as the Akademietheater.
Referring to its location within the city, the area is situated in the area
of the former Glacis, in Innere Stadt, the 3rd district of Vienna, bordering
the 1st district. The project area is enclosed by Lothringerstraße on the
north-western side, Johannesgasse on the north-eastern side, and Am
Heumarkt on the south-eastern side. The Akademietheater in the south-
west is located on Lisztstraße. Johannesgasse separates the area from
the adjacent Stadtpark that stretches from the existing hotel towards
the north-east. On the opposite side of Lothringerstraße, the extension of
Fig. 6.1 Overview of
the green boulevard makes space for Beethovenplatz, where the Akade- the World Heritage
misches Gymnasium is situated. property Historic Centre
of Vienna, presenting the
The street Am Heumarkt is located exactly on the border between the project area. Yellow =
World Heritage area and the buffer zone. As a consequence, the project buffer zone; Blue = World
area is located completely within the area of the World Heritage property. Heritage area; Magenta
= Heumarkt project
area (© City of Vienna /
mkphc)

Fig. 6.2 Map of the com-

petition area / project
area (© WertInvest /
[phaseeins])

6.2 KEYWORDS DESCRIBING THE GENESIS OF THE PLANNED HEUMARKT

NEU PROJECT
The summarised table below showing the chronological development of

the planned Heumarkt Neu project serves for orientation purposes about
the planning steps resulting in the current status of the plans:
Project development of the planned Heumarkt Neu project
Period Event
• 1867: Founding of Vienna’s Ice-Skating Club. The WEV has been located on the project property since 1899
• 1900: Creation of the ice-skating rink in the art nouveau style by architect Ludwig Baumann
Before develop- • Project area owned by the City Expansion Fund (ca. 100 years)
ment of the Heu- • 1911-13: Construction and opening of Vienna’s Konzerthaus
markt Wien Neu • 1964: Construction of the InterContinental Hotel. Demolition of the art nouveau ensemble of the ice-skating rink. Hotel property owned
project by InterContinental Hotels Group
• 2006 – 2012: Changes in ownership of the hotel property
• Until 2008: WEV property owned by the City Expansion Fund
• Tenderer WertInvest purchases the shares in the InterContinental Hotel property and the majority interests in the ownership of the WEV
2012, property
1st quarter • Start of the development process of the area, and formulation of the first project objectives by the tenderer
• Expert hearings on the initial situation, first ideas for mixed use and possible building volumes, suggestion for future cooperative
procedure
• 1.-7.10.2012: Exhibition in Vienna’s Konzerthaus (400 visitors, mainly residents); Inclusion of visitors feedback in the cooperative expert
procedure
2012, • Cooperative urban planning expert procedure:
3rd/4th quarter • Expert workshops with three planning teams and presentation of the results
• Documentation of the procedure and the recommendations of the assessment committee

Project development of the planned Heumarkt Neu project
Period Event
• 28.02.-05.03.2013: Exhibition in Vienna’s Konzerthaus (700 visitors); presentation of contributions & results of the cooperative proce-
dure for a broad audience
2013 • Development of urban planning guidelines by the City of Vienna/MA21 with reference to the cooperative urban planning expert procedure
• Presentation of the elaborated guidelines to the Urban Development Commission (STEK)
• Preparations and agreements on the establishment of an architectural competition for the area
• Establishment of a two-stage international competition with an open application process
• The concept of the architectural office Isay Weinfeld won the competition.
2014 • 28.02.-09.03.2014: Exhibition in the InterContinental Hotel (2,000 visitors); Presentation of all competition entries with daily informa-
tion talks
• Initiation of a zoning procedure: Draft for redefinition and development plan for the project area (MA21)
• Advisory committee formally addresses the planned object according to the state of the design applicable at that time (winning
design)
2016 • Declaration of a ‚pause for reflection‘ for all parties involved by Vice Mayor Maria Vassilakou on the occasion of the controversial dis-
cussions on the planned project, and suggestion of a conciliation procedure for sustainable solutions
• Analysis of the possibilities for a redefinition of the design by Büro Weinfeld, revision of the competition design (redimensioning)
• Preparation of a Heritage Impact Assessment by the City of Vienna, presentation and publication of the revision results
• 14.02.-18.02.2017: Infopoint at the InterContinental Hotel for personal discussions

• Continuation of the zoning and development plans
2017 • Preparation of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (City of Vienna)
• City Council decision of 01.06.2017: Majority decision on the redetermination of the zoning and development plan (planning docu-
ment PD 7984) and on the conclusion of an urban development contract with the tenderer.
• New preliminary design of Büro Weinfeld in May 2018, taking account of the zoning and development plan
Table 6.1: Chronological
development of the
2018 • Submission of the final design to the advisory committee in September 2018 => current state of plans as a basis for the Heritage
planned Heumarkt Neu Impact Assessment 2018
project

6.3 USES AND URBAN PLANNING SITUATION OF THE PROJECT AREA
The particular importance of the project site results from its existing
mixed use, in particular utilisation by Vienna’s Ice-Skating Club and the
Konzerthaus, which are closely linked to Vienna’s history. Both uses refer
to exceedingly relevant traditions with regard to the importance of music
and the tradition of ice skating in the history of Vienna. However, the In-
terContinental Hotel also has particular importance for the area as a con-
gress location.
Vienna Ice-Skating Club (WEV) is one of the oldest and biggest sport clubs
in the world, looking back on 150 years of history which was extensive-
ly documented most recently in the book 150 Jahre Eiszeit by Agnes
Meisinger.35 The Club as well as the site therefore represent an important
symbol of the popular ice skating culture for Vienna’s population. Part of
Vienna‘s ice dance culture - the Rundtanz – was recently included in the
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. With a size of 6000 m², the WEV takes a
comparatively large share of the area in the planned project.
The InterContinental Hotel which was built in 1964 is also located on the
project area, with an eaves height (above ground) of about 40 m (absolute
height about 52 m above WN, roof superstructures are about 5 m higher,
i.e. 44.5 m in total). The hotel was constructed by the InterContinental ho-
tel chain ‒ a former subsidiary of the airline Pan AM ‒ on an area of the
WEV that had financial difficulties at that time. Due to the construction of
the new hotel, the WEV area was reduced by about one third. The art nou-
veau ensemble designed by the architect Ludwig Baumann was removed
and replaced by functionalist new buildings.
Fig. 6.3 a,b: Vienna’s
Ice-Skating Club Rink
was constructed around
1900 by the architect
Ludwig Baumann in the
art nouveau style (Be-
35 Meisinger, A. (2017). 150 Jahre Eiszeit, Die Grosse Geschichte des Wiener Eislauf-Vereins; Pub- zirksmuseum Landstraße
lished by Vienna Ice-Skating Club. Böhlau Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Vienna Cologne Weimar. archive)

First plans for the hotel were drafted by the US-American architects Hola-
bird & Root, while the execution planning and implementation should
initially be realised by the architect Roland Rainer. However, he returned
the contract, since he assumed the management of urban planning. In
the end, the project was realised by the architects Carl Appel and Walter
Jaksch together with the US design architects.
The first design envisaged a slab-shaped construction with a height of

56m. After discussions on negative effects on the adjacent city park (lack
of ventilation), this design was rejected and resulted in a redesign. The
building structure was subsequently restructured into a T-shaped build-
ing, by reducing the height of the planned hotel slab to 12 upper floors.
To compensate the space lost, an extension was added to the rear of the
slab.
Fig. 6.4: InterContinen-

tal Hotel after completi-
on in 1964 (Photo: Lucca
Chmel, 1964)
Fig. 6.5: Design sketch of

the executed planning (©
WertInvest)

The importance of the hotel for Vienna was already very high even during
the ground-breaking ceremony in 1960, which was held by the former
Federal Chancellor Julius Raab in person. This project should, inter alia,
develop Vienna into a leading international congress location, which is
also reflected by the architectural language that can be assigned to the
international style of functional post-war modernism. With more than
500 rooms, the hotel addressed the need for capacities in the upper price
segment at that time.
However, numerous reconstructions and extensions blurred the original

architectural concept; key stylistic design features of the exterior and in-
terior have been almost entirely lost. In general, there is currently a great
need for refurbishment and renewal in the InterContinental Hotel.
Adjacent to the southwest, the third neighbouring user on the area is Vi-
enna‘s Konzerthaus with the adjacent Akademietheater that was built in
1913 in the historicist style according to plans of the architects Ferdinand
Fellner and Hermann Helmer. These buildings are not part of the actual
planning area, but are directly adjacent. The great historic significance of
this ensemble as a site of excellent music and theatre arts in Vienna has
continued to the present and is maintained with the most varied contem-
porary cultural uses and events. The Konzerthaus is inter alia the main
venue of Vienna Symphony Orchestra, of Vienna Chamber Orchestra and
of Klangforum Wien.
Fig. 6.6 a,b: Intermezzo

Bar 1964 (left) and 2010
(right) (© Wertnvest)

Fig. 6.7: Vienna Konzert-

haus (© Clemens Pfeiffer,
CC BY 2.0 at)
Together with the State Opera and the Musikverein, the Konzerthaus es- However, maintaining and preserving the building has become a chal-
tablished Vienna’s worldwide reputation as a leading musical centre. lenge, since the public subsidies cover only 12.6% of the expenses.36 As a
Since the building was completed, Vienna Konzerthaus Society, a private consequence, the support provided by more than 10,000 members of the
non-profit association, has been acting as the operator of the Konzer- Vienna Konzerthaus Society is of great importance for the preservation of
thaus. In 2017/18, 600,000 people attended the concerts. the Konzerthaus.
36 https://konzerthaus.at

Overall, the Heumarkt Area is characterised today by three extremely dif-

ferent uses. Since the building stock of the Heumarkt Area dates back to
different time periods, its architectural language is very inhomogeneous.
Fig. 6.8: Situation of the

Heumarkt Area (© City of
Vienna)

With regard to the urban design, the area forms a link between the 1st dis- It is currently not possible to cross the area on foot, since the WEV area is
trict of the inner city and the neighbouring 3rd district. However, the Heu- directly next to the Konzerthaus. In addition, due to the enclosure of the
markt Area is currently unable to fulfil the urban planning requirements Wien River flowing under the Heumarkt Area there is a leap in height on
that exist due to this link position, since there are clearly visible urban the street Am Heumarkt, representing a sharp break to this date.
planning deficits. They are not only caused by the ageing building stock
of the InterContinental Hotel and the adjacent building of the WEV, but
also by the ‘anti-contextual’ design principle of this building ensemble
that was created in the 1960s, that does not follow, but rather turns away
from the urban design logic of the Ringstraße ensemble. This applies in
particular to the hotel complex with its scale that resulted in controversial
discussions in Vienna already at the time of its construction. In particular
in the area of the street corner Am Heumarkt / Johannesgasse, the base of
the building that stands out from the ground floor impairs the quality of
the exterior space. For example, the lack of use of the windowless, shad-
owed base of the building corner as well as the facade facing the street
Am Heumarkt generate a very unfriendly effect and therefore deficits in
the public space.
Fig. 6.9 a,b,c: Current

situation of the Heu-
markt Area, as seen from
Johannesgasse, from
the street Am Heumarkt,
situation between Kon-
zerthaus and WEV area
(© mkphc, City of Vienna)

6.4 COOPERATIVE EXPERT PROCEDURE 6.5 KEY DESIGN FEATURES
Based on the constellation of users existing on the Heumarkt Area, the The winner selected in 2014 from the International Architectural Compe-
following urban planning requirements were developed for the area in a tition held in 2013 was the architectural office Isay Weinfeld. The project
cooperative urban planning expert procedure carried out in 2012: aims at constructing a building complex on the area, while its design con-
cept is already customised and designed for the two main users of the
• Creation of attractive public spaces, with possibilities to cross the area properties involved ‒ WEV and the InterContinental Hotel. In addition, the
Fig. 6.10: Urban planning
on foot design should include a residential building, and take account of spatial guidelines for the area of
• Attractive design of the area in front of the Konzerthaus as an ice-skat- as well as functional concerns of the public and the Konzerthaus that is InterContinental Hotel
– Vienna Ice-Skating
ing area and open space, which can be used, inter alia, as a link to the directly bordering the area, and generate added value, respectively (see
Club. Submission to the
Reisnerviertel Chapter 6.10). Urban Development
• Moderate lowering of the ice-skating area and open space by one storey Commission, 16.4.2013
(© City of Vienna)
• Maintaining the dimensions of the ice-skating area and open space Initially the winning design of the architectural office Isay Weinfeld as-
(6,000m²) sumed to essentially preserve and convert the hotel building (preserva-
• User-friendly structural surroundings of the access zone in the area of
Lothringerstraße, with a view into and over the ice-skating area and
open space and opening the space of the ice-skating area to Lothring-
erstraße
• Maintaining the WEV without funds of the city, and adding an indoor
ice rink that can be used throughout the year
• Creation of public leisure areas (events, swimming, wellness, fitness,
…) and integration of a sports hall for neighbouring schools and
sports associations
• Thoroughfare along the longitudinal facade of the Vienna Konzerthaus
• Revitalisation of the belt of cultural institutions developing along the
old Glacis
• Extremely high-quality architecture as the lead project and to build
the city’s image

tion of the building slab). However, when the competition was launched, However, even after the adjustments were made, in particular the reduc-
a completely new hotel was already formulated as an alternative. During tion of volumes and the external dimensions, the essential architectural
the subsequent elaboration and adjustment process of the design, the design principle of the competition winner has not changed. The design
partial preservation of the hotel slab was then rejected. The current con- can be described as an ensemble of three main elements ‒ base, tower,
cept provides for demolition and construction of a new hotel building. slab ‒ combined with a solitary building that acts as a conciliatory ele-
Fig. 6.11 a,b,c: Rendering

of the current draft
(© Isay Weinfeld & Sebas-
tian Murr)

ment to the surrounding buildings. This imitates and supplements key dates. The current design version was created in August 2018 and pre-
architectural elements of the existing hotel complex. The design of the sented to the Vienna Advisory Committee in September 2018. This design
building ensemble is closely linked to the creation of a central outdoor version also forms the basis for this Heritage Impact Assessment.
space of about 6000m², which is supposed to incorporate the ice-skating
areas during the cold season, and be a freely accessible public square
outside the ice-skating season. During the urban planning discussions,
relocation of Lothringerstraße which is located to the west, and a planted
boulevard serving as a "buffer" between the street and the square have
been planned. The objective was, inter alia, to keep the height differenc-
es between the different access routes from the surrounding streets as
small as possible, or use structural measures to compensate the height
differences as far as possible, respectively, to reduce the existing barrier
effects.
As a complement to the ground-level open space, a City Terrace of about

800 sqm is planned on the roof of the redesigned base of the hotel slab.
This extension of the exterior space is described in the design concept as
an elevated roof garden, and is supposed to serve as a public space for
events and provide room for retreat.
The planning of the Heumarkt Neu project is carried out by the office Isay
Weinfeld as the Design Architect, whereas (right from the beginning of the
design competition) the draft and operational execution is incumbent on
the office Murr Architekten. The planning project is also supported by the
office Hochform Architekten ZT GmbH as a local partner and executing ar-
chitects in Vienna.
6.6 DIMENSIONS Fig. 6.12 a,b: Positioning

of the solid body of the
current design, version of
The architectural office Isay Weinfeld partly reduced the dimensions of 09/2018 (top), layout of
the ensemble planned in the winning design with regard to the heights the competition design
2014/15 (bottom) (© Wer-
during the ‘period of reflection’ in the year 2018. These adjustments have tInvest / Isay Weinfeld &
been essentially maintained up to the present day, apart from minor up- Sebastian Murr)

In addition to a reduction of the tower, another fundamental adjustment

of the current design version is the displacement of the InterContinental
Hotel in the direction of the Stadtpark. Overall, the redesign of the hotel
slab within the design process has moved by currently about 6.5m closer
to Johannesgasse/ Stadtpark than in the original competition design. It
must be mentioned that the hotel slab of the 3D model visualised in this
assessment is located 90cm closer to the Stadtpark than in the last ver-
sion of the plan (09/2018).
This modification was not updated in the 3D model made available to the
experts. However, the experts assume that the digital 3D model which
forms the basis of the visualisations is sufficiently precise to make fun-
damental statements on the World Heritage compatibility of the project.
Fig. 6.13 a,b: Comparison

between existing buil-
ding (red) and overlap of
the current design. The
distance of the hotel slab
to the Stadtpark planned
in the most recent versi-
on (09/2018) is not shown
correctly in the 3D model.
In the current design, it
is 90cm greater than in
the visualisations of this
assessment (building
models: Isay Weinfeld
& Sebastian Murr/ city
model: MA41 / Installati-
on: v-cube)

The table below compares the major differences of the structural dimen- The absolute heights above refer to Wiener Null (WN). At the site, the WN
sions between the existing InterContinental Hotel building, the competi- level is located below the level of the premises. As a consequence, the vis-
tion design and the most recent design version37: ible height of the building components is less, and a clearly defined point
at the surface would have to be used for reference purposes in the individ-
Competi- Current
ual case, if you would like to speak of the visible building height. Related
Existing building tion design design version
2014/15 09/2018 to the enclosing streets, WN is between. 9.5m (street Am Heumarkt/ Ecke
Johannesgasse – f. ex. position A) and approx. 11.8m (Lothringerstraße/
Width of hotel slab 90m 96.2m 96.2m
Johannesgasse corner – f. ex. position B) below street level. For example,
Depth of hotel slab 16,25m ca. 16.7m 18.7m the planned tower would be approx. 69.5m high relative to position A,
ca. 54m above WN 60.00m above and 67.2m measured from position B. As a consequence, this assessment
(incl. superstructure) 60.23m above WN, 61.49m always uses the absolute height WN for better comparability, even if it is
Height of hotel slab ca. 55,4m above WN WN above WN (incl.
(extension at rear) superstructure) distinctively different from the building height above ground. Without the
Fig. 6.14: View of the
corresponding point of reference, a relative height (f. ex. tower height = current design from
Distance between hotel slab and
parapet 1st floor projecting base ca. 5.9m ca. 10.1m ca. 9.7m
67m) would not be complete, and would not be helpful to describe the Johannesgasse,
presenting the height
level (Johannesgasse) visual appearance of the building anyway, since such appearance is dif- differences on the
ferent, depending on the topography, the location and distance of the property (© Isay Weinfeld
Width of tower (view from
NV 21m 20.7m viewer. & Sebastian Murr)
Johannesgasse)
Depth of tower NV 30 m 28.2m
Height of tower 85.25m above 79.00m above

NV
WN WN
Distance between tower and

NV ca. 16m ca. 18m
hotel slab
Distance between kerbstone 7,15m (projec-

of Johannesgasse and front tion, corner Am
edge of the projecting base Heumarkt) 12,50m ca. 8.1m ca. 2m
level (projection in top view of (flush front facade
the roof) base)
Width of view 1st floor base

ca. 96.2m ca. 96.2m ca. 96.2m
level (Johannesgasse)
Deep view of 1st floor base

ca. 46.7m ca. 76.5m ca. 78m
level (Lothringerstr.)
37 The dimensions and information were taken from the planning documents made available: Annex
D.1_Entwurf Wettbewerb (WertInvest), submission documents for Vienna Advisory Board 180905_ICV_
Fachbeirat (Murr Architekten), most recent version of 3D model (Murr Architekten)

6.7 FACADE AND TEXTURE the facade intervals and the type of application of a third metallic materi-
al (architectural bronze as described in the competition design). Window
The different building volumes of the new design are supposed to have frames, metal panels in the hotel facade that can be opened, and plant
the same characteristics with regard to their materials, and at the same troughs serving as balustrades for the loggias of the tower are supposed
time subtle distinguishing features resulting from the design of corre- to be made of this material. Due to the grid-like facade structures, the
sponding facade families. However, the habitus of all sides of the main fa- facade concept is distinctively different from the existing building, where
cades, with bordering stone frames and the glass panels that are recessed the external walls predominantly consist of wall panels with flush window
by the relevant frame thickness, is basically consistent on all facade sur- openings, and parts of it are extensive external wall areas without win-
faces (exception: hotel facade of the ground-level base storey), differing in dow openings. With the selection of homogeneous materials, the newly
planned ensemble is supposed to be given a shared identity which pedes-
trians can recognise also at a close range. Implementing the open facade
structure on all sides of the building is supposed to prevent avoidance or
rear spaces, if compared with the existing building.
Another material component that takes effect is the greenery concept,

providing for green areas in the different parts of the building within the
ensemble. In addition to planting the plant troughs of the tower and the
green courtyards on the ground floor of the base, all buildings will have
roof greening. The roof surface of the conference area on the first floor,
which is accessible to the public, is considered as a park-like city terrace,
and an elevated extension of the square, parts of which also contain
Fig. 6.15: Concept of
different facade families
plants and furniture in summer.
(© Murr Architekten)
According to the landscape designers involved in the planning (Büro
LAND.IN.SICHT), the plants should be selected with differentiation and
adapted to the respective situation and seasons. The roof terrace of the
base which is open to the public is supposed to have a naturalistic and
flowing design without sharp edges.
Fig. 6.16a ,b: Rendered

facade sections of tower
(left) and hotel slab
(right) (© Isay Weinfeld &
Sebastian Murr)

Fig. 6.17: Rendering of

roof terrace on the base
slab (© Isay Weinfeld &
Sebastian Murr/ LAND.
IN.SICHT)
6.8 DISTRIBUTION OF USES WITHIN THE PLANNED BUILDING ENSEMBLE roof terrace. The hotel slab and the residential tower are positioned on
top of the base plate, as well as a single-storey lantern above the confer-
The distribution of uses within the building ensemble has been designed ence hall.
as follows:
The solitary building is located next to the large square in the southeast,
The building slab at Johannesgasse is supposed to accommodate the Inter- with its height corresponding to the eaves of the Konzerthaus. The build-
Continental Hotel again. With its 14 floors, it is protruding from a horizontal ing function has been designed for a mixed user profile, and is supposed
base plate with a size of approx. 78 m x 96 m. The base contains the de- to include rooms for the WEV and its entrance area, as well as the adminis-
velopment area of the different uses: The hotel lobby and the entrances to tration of the hotel and even more hotel rooms on the upper floors.
the sports and spa area, as well as the WEV premises, cafés and restaurant.
The base will also accommodate the first floor, grouping the various uses The basement floors contain the spa and pool areas, the ice-skating rim,
developed on the ground floor and including the conference rooms. The the sports hall and the service facilities of the hotel.
base plate will have atriums connecting it to the ground floor, and also a

6.9 OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE ON THE PROJECT AREA

Condensed version: Obligations under the Urban Planning
Corresponding ownership structure and contractual arrangements be- Contract (acc. to §1a of the Vienna Building Code)
tween the user groups involved are required as a fundamental precon- Project development of InterContinental Hotel – Vienna
dition for a planned project that can consider the areas of the hotel and Ice-Skating Club – Vienna Konzerthaus
the WEV as a common building plot. When the competition was launched
(2014), the area to be planned during the competition has the following 1. WEV:
ownership structure: Renewal of the open-air ice-skating rink and the associated buildings
Granting a usage right for 99 years
The InterContinental Hotel (parcel no. 993/14, 2998/25) is owned by Wert-
Invest Hotelbetriebs GmbH; the property of the WEV (parcel no. 993/8, 2. Central square:
993/15) is owned by Lothringer Straße 22 Projektentwicklungs GmbH, Public accessibility and possibility to stay without any requirement
with majority interests held by EG-WertInvest Hotelbeteiligungs GmbH. As of consumption on 4.000 m² of the central square outside the winter
a consequence, the tenderer is the majority owner of the entire project season (i.e. between 20 March and 10 October of each year).
area. The adjacent property of the Konzerthaus is not owned by the ten- The tenderers are entitled on no more than ten days per year to use
derer. the entirety of the central square for events, while the passageways
have to be accessible without any restrictions.
In the course of the project development, the tenderer held intensive dis- Annual design according to the following features in accordance
cussions with all three users of the area (the Konzerthaus is considered as with MA19:
a neighbouring user and its property is not included in the project plan-
ning). The result was that all existing uses ‒ InterContinental Hotel, WEV, • Generate high quality of stay (functional and atmospherical)
Konzerthaus ‒ should be maintained on the area. In case that the project • Prevent overheating in the summer (e.g. greening, shading,
is realised, a contractual agreement guarantees WEV a leasehold right for water)
99 years from the date of signature. In addition to the existing uses, it is • Good usability for everyday life and social mix
intended to design apartments, offices and sports facilities on the project
area. The sports facilities are supposed to be used, inter alia, by the Aka- Fixed points:
demisches Gymnasiums situated on the opposite side of Lothringerstraße • Seating areas for stay without any requirement of consumption
in the 1st district, and also by sports clubs. • Shading elements
• Greenery elements
Table 6.3: Condensed
version of the obligations
Another precondition for the feasibility of the project is an urban planning The boards have to be dismantled until 20 March at the latest, and
under the Urban Plan- contract that was concluded by the tenderer and the City of Vienna af- must not be set up before 10 October.
ning Contract between ter the decision adopted by the City Council on 01.06.2017. This contract
the City of Vienna and
the tenderer serves to ensure the implementation of benefits for the public:
(© WertInvest)

3. Street project: 6.10 ANTICIPATED PUBLIC ADDED VALUE

Creation of a generous area in front of the Konzerthaus, the central According to the STEP 2025 Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings
square and InterContinental Hotel, as well as improved balance be- (2014), high-rise buildings are in general allowed anywhere within Vien-
tween the two sides of the street. na’s metropolitan area. However, it must be substantiated to what extent
Assumption of any costs including the planting of trees as well as
planning services and ancillary costs.
Use of the partial area of the ice-skating rink located on public prop-
erty is limited to the winter season and restricted to the purpose of
using it as an ice-skating rink for the general public, at reasonable
prices similar to the present ones.
4. Footpath along Vienna Konzerthaus:

Free accessibility daily between 0-24 hrs all year round
5. Additional passage at the level of Lagergasse:

Free accessibility daily between 0-24 hrs outside the winter season
6. Sports hall for public schools and private mass sports:

Dimensions and equipment in agreement with the Vienna Schools
Council
Usage agreement with the Schools Council. The obligations are se-
cured with easements in the land register, and will pass to the legal
successors in case of a sale.
Due to the contractual regulations mentioned above, the currently appli-

cable ownership structure and the agreements between the three prin-
cipal users of the area ‒ InterContinental Hotel, Vienna Ice-Skating Club
and Konzerthaus ‒ and the resolved re-establishment of the zoning and
development plans (planning document PD 7984), the legal framework
conditions for submitting a building application are currently fulfilled.
Fig.6.18: Zoning and
development plan of
the project area (©
WertInvest)

the high-rise projects generate socio-economic added value for the gen- the border was defined along the Heumarkt street for the sake of
eral public. In accordance with the Proposed Resolution decided by the simplicity, making the Heumarkt area lie only a few metres within
Vienna City Council in 2017, the construction of the project would no lon- the core area, not taking account of the fact that this approach of
ger be admissible (cf. subsections 4.2.2 and 4.2.5). demarcation would be challenging for future urban developments.
Therefore the substantiation of the anticipated added value of the The World Heritage aspect was discussed extensively during the
planned project submitted by the City of Vienna is printed below. This is project development. In the course of the zoning procedure, an
followed by a presentation of the added value by the AOB. Since the add- environmental report (strategic environmental assessment) was
ed value of the project was examined in a separate assessment, there will created to analyse the effects on the cultural heritage, inter alia. In
be no comments on the two presentations below. spring 2017, a Heritage Impact Assessment was prepared under the
responsbility of the City of Vienna
The City of Vienna describes the anticipated added value of the project as
follows:38 • The area creates a barrier between the districts of Innere Stadt and
Landstraße. The public spaces in the direct neighbourhood of the
Project Heumarkt – Ice-Skating Club / ice-skating club have an unattractive design, with unsatisfactory
Added values to be generated for the population in case of quality of stay, and they are hardly used by the residents. In sum-
realisation mary, the urban planning situation must currently be assessed as
Summary: Rudolf Zunke, MD-BD, KPP, Version of 6 July 2018 unsatisfactory.
• The passage area between Konzerthaus and ice-skating club is cur-
It must first be pointed out that the Heumarkt Area is located in the rently a highly unattractive zone. According to its historic cultural
World Heritage core area, which must be considered downright importance, the Konzerthaus is currently not exposed in an urban
suboptimal from an urban planning perspective. planning sense.
• The urban renewal around the InterContinental Hotel and the Heu-
For years, improvement potentials have been evident, specifically markt (Vienna Ice-Skating Club) would provide the opportunity for
for the building block located between Lothringerstraße/Johannes- Vienna to create a place in the inner city which is equally attractive
gasse/Heumarkt. This is one of the reasons why this area – unlike and comparable to the public space in Vienna’s Museumsquartier.
nearly the entire 1st district of Vienna – was not included in the pro- • Replacement of the 45 metres InterContinental Hotel from the year
tection zone (listing of building ensembles). Caused by a complicat- 1965 with 450 rooms, in adaptation to the modern requirements.
ed ownership structure, it was impossible for decades to achieve an • Demolition of the existing buildings along the Heumarkt and con-
improvement of this suboptimal situation. struction of a new building (service areas for the Vienna Ice-Skat-
ing Club, offices, apartments), with its height in line with the eaves
When the border of the core area was determined in the 1990s, height of the Konzerthaus.
38 City of Vienna: Heumarkt HIA overview added values_Kloos Version 6 July 2018

• Construction of a new residential high-rise building at the level of • The area concerned with a size of about 725m² is required for
Lothringerstraße neighbouring the hotel complex. ice-skating only during the winter months, and is therefore avail-
• Using the roof of the conference floor as a city terrace which is ac- able during the summer months as part of the pavement without
cessible to the public. any restrictions.
• Creation of two additional passages for the public between Innere • This area continues to be owned by the City of Vienna.
Stadt and the 3rd district. • Use during the winter months should be governed by a correspond-
• The large open-air ice-skating rink of the Vienna Ice-Skating Club ing agreement in the form of a basic use agreement. This agreement
is maintained, and an underground indoor ice rink enables the shall establish, inter alia, a fixed purpose of ice skating, the takeover
Ice-Skating Club to offer ice sports (ice hockey and figure skating) all of the areas to be preserved, and a corresponding remuneration for
year round, all facilities will be redesigned with regard to their tech- the temporary use.
nology and functionality. • In return, a central square with a size of more than 6,000 m² is creat-
• Usage right for the Vienna Ice-Skating Club for another 99 years un- ed on a private property, which is made available to the public pre-
der the same economic terms. dominantly without the requirement of consumption.
• From March to October, open area from the ice rink to Lothring- • All structural measures mentioned above are funded by the ten-
erstraße, which is accessible to the public and largely without the derer (WERTINVEST), which will be agreed in the form of an urban
requirement of consumption, similar to the open space in the Mu- planning contract.
seumsquartier.
• Opening up the Konzerthaus to Innere Stadt and to the large free In summary, the following aspects of an added value for the popu-
area, since the present buildings along Lothringerstraße no longer lation result from the addressed project.
exist.
• Increased area in front of the main entrance of the Konzerthaus • The project provides for a number of uses and urban infrastructure
along Lothringerstraße, and creation of an attractive distance area which are beneficial to the population. Mainly the following should
to the ice rink. be mentioned: A completely renewed ice-skating rink, use of the
• Enhancement of Lothringerstraße into a greened street (maintain- area by the public in spring, summer and autumn largely without
ing the existing driving lanes). the requirement of consumption, an indoor ice rink that can be used
• Making the public spaces along Lothringerstraße-Johannes- all year round, sports and wellness, a sports hall for neighbouring
gasse-Heumarkt more attractive. schools and sports clubs, passages that can be used all year round,
• Sports centre with wellness facilities and a 50 metres swimming and a city terrace accessible to the public.
pool. • The planned conference areas are an offer for the CongressCity of
• Construction of a sports hall for the neighbouring schools, which Vienna, which will clearly strengthen its position in the international
will be rented by the Vienna Sports Council during the school competition of locations. It can be assumed that this impulse will
months Monday to Friday between 8.00 and 17.00 hours, and which entail more follow-up investments.
is otherwise available to sports clubs. • The project can therefore not be narrowed to the construction of

another residential tower. Much more important is the effect of cre-

ating a meeting place where different people can come together.
• In addition, the area in front of Lothringer Straße is broadened and
planted with trees. Together with greening of the building facades
and mobile green elements at the central square, this makes a pos-
itive contribution to the area’s micro-climate.
• A new connection between Lothringerstraße and Heumarkt along
the prestigious main front of the Konzerthaus will create a new pas-
sage between the 1st and the 3rd district.
• The new design of the area in front of the Konzerthaus is a contri-
bution to strengthening Vienna’s location as the music capital of
Europe (see nomination criteria).
• In addition, it is crucial that the tenderer (Wertinvest) contractually
undertakes to renew the outdoor ice-skating areas and create the in-
frastructures required for operation exclusively at its own expense.
It is also contractually agreed that the Vienna Ice-Skating Club is
granted the right to use the ice-skating areas for 99 years, while be-
ing able to continue its operations under the same economic terms.
• In summary, it can be said that an inner-city space is created which
is equally attractive to the public space in Vienna’s Museumsquarti-
er. A place that distinctively increases the quality of stay for the res-
Table 6.4: Presentation of
idents, but is also an attractive urban centre of attraction beyond
added value by the City
of Vienna (© Vienna City the district borders, enhancing the World Heritage area as a whole.
Administration)

The AOB presents the anticipated added value of the project as follow:39 failed to clearly demonstrate why it departed from the principles
it laid down itself in the High-Rise Buildings Concept 2002 and in
Redefining the zoning and development plan relating to the the Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings – STEP 2025. In par-
Wiener Heumarkt area / ticular, no explanation was provided, as to where the, „outstanding
Supplementary explanation: AOB, by proxy Dr. Michael Mauerer added value for the community” called for in the current “Thematic
e.h. dated 19 November 2018 Concept for High-Rise Buildings” is to be found in the construction
of the planned residential tower itself.
On the World Cultural Heritage:
In its declaration of administrative effect of 17 December 2018, the The redefining of plan no. 7984 serves among others to facilitate the
AOB criticised, inter alia, that the City of Vienna by amending the construction of a 66 metre high residential tower in the historic cen-
zoning plan and therefore enabling the construction of a 66 metre tre of Vienna. Space is to be created in the new residential tower to
high residential tower in the historic centre of Vienna breached the accommodate high-priced apartments, hotel apartments for “long
obligations entered into by the Republic of Austria in the World Her- stay guests” and for multi-functional rooms.
itage Convention to protect and preserve the World Cultural Heri-
tage. On 19 December 2014 the Vienna City Council adopted the “The-
matic Concept for High-Rise Buildings - STEP 2025” to replace the
The fact that these obligations were not implemented in the laws of “Urbanistic Guidelines – High-Rise Buildings in Vienna” (High-Rise
the Provinces means that departing from these obligations does not Buildings Concept 2002) which had been effective since 2002.
constitute a breach of the Code for reasons of a conflict between the
Code and the World Heritage Convention. However, the AOB con- Page 6 of the publicly accessible Explanatory Report 3 for Plan no.
sidered the fact that the Vienna City Council ultimately decided – 7984 of 3 January 2017 indicates that, with respect to the planned
despite a warning being issued several times and the clear UNESCO additional high-rise building, the High-Rise Buildings Concept 2002
requirements in relation to the permissible height of the residential should be given “precedence” because the required architects’ com-
tower – against observing the obligations resulting enshrined in in- petition had already been “completed before the decision for the new
ternational law resulting from the World Heritage Convention, and high-rise building concept was taken”.
wilfully accepted that the historic centre of Vienna would be placed
on the List of World Heritage Properties in Danger, as a matter of For the AOB, there was first of all the question as to whether and in
maladministration in the City of Vienna. how far either of the two mentioned concepts of the City of Vienna
were even observed in relation to the new high-rise building, and
Regarding the added value to the general public: for what purpose these were decreed and published.
Another point of criticism of the AOB was that the City of Vienna
The AOB complained that concepts adopted by the City of Vienna
such as the Urbanistic Guidelines and the (new) Thematic Concept
39 City of Vienna: Heumarkt HIA overview added values_Kloos Version 6 July 2018

for High-Rise Buildings – STEP 2025 presented the general public building called for in the current Concept for High-Rise Build-
legally non-binding (see the decision of the Constitutional Court ings – a planned residential tower with a height of 66 metres
of Austria of 2 October 2013, no. V19/2011) and self-imposed stan- – can actually be found, especially considering that no afford-
dards which appear to arouse false hopes on the one hand and – in able housing that is accessible to the general public but rather
the event of non-compliance – provoke the dissatisfaction of the predominantly high-priced apartments are to be built, and also
population on the other. that the height of the building would result in the historic cen-
tre of Vienna losing its World Heritage status.
Whilst the High-Rise Buildings Concept 2002 prescribes a so-called
“exclusion zone for high-rise buildings” in the core of the World Heri- Assuming that instead of the new Thematic Concept for High-Rise
tage area as the historic centre of Vienna and for the Belvedere Park Buildings – STEP 2025, the High-Rise Buildings Concept 2002 had
and Castle, the current Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings been given priority – as indicated on page 6 of the existing report
has no exclusion zones for high-rise buildings. On the contrary, the to plan no. 7984 – the new residential tower would be located in an
construction of high-rise buildings should then, generally speaking, area that was declared by the very City of Vienna itself as an exclu-
be permitted also in the historic centre of Vienna, provided they sion zone for high-rise buildings.
generate “outstanding added value for the community”. The pream-
ble to the Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings also emphasis- Both page 13 of the Explanatory Report 3 to Plan no. 7984 and page 6
es that the existing cityscape of Vienna must be considered „care- of the Urban Development Contract pursuant to section 1a of the Vi-
fully and sensitively“. There is a need for new high-rise buildings in enna Building Code – both were published – make reference among
Vienna “only under the premise that these contribute outstanding others to the “public interest in the planning of land intended for
added value for the community” public use, in particular for sporting and cultural purposes”. In sec-
tion 3.2.7. of the Urban Development Contract, the tenderers com-
The AOB criticised the fact that the City of Vienna failed to clearly mit to building a small underground sports hall including changing
demonstrate, rooms and sanitary facilities. The sports hall is intended for general
use by schools as well as for public and private recreational sport.
• in how far the existing Vienna cityscape was actually consid-
ered “carefully and sensitively” in line with the above-men- Although the AOB does not doubt that the construction of an un-
tioned Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings, especially as derground sports hall will undoubtedly be of benefit to the public
UNESCO consistently emphasised that another high-rise build- schools in the vicinity, it is also noted that substantial profits can be
ing in the protected core zone of Vienna may only be a max- expected for the tenderer in connection with the sports hall. It can
imum of 43 metres high in order not to jeopardise the World be taken from the agreement concluded between the tenderers and
Heritage status, and the Republic of Austria, represented by the Federal Ministry of Edu-
cation, that the sports hall will be made available to the Republic of
• where the “outstanding added value” of the new high-rise Austria for a yearly rent of EUR 64,800 (for 40 hours per week) or EUR

72,900 (for 45 hours a week),plus 20% VAT respectively. The usage of all kinds, as well as for the participation of land owner in bearing
agreement is to be concluded for a limited term of 25 years, where- the infrastructure costs incurred by the municipality through zoning
by early termination should only be possible for cause pursuant to areas as building land.
section 1118 of the Austrian Civil Code (ABGB).
This provision was introduced with the Building Code amendment
The AOB pointed out the lack of objective connection between the 2014, Provincial Law Gazette 25, and came into effect on 16 July
new sports hall and the new high-rise building, and the consider- 2014. It authorises the conclusion of contracts with which land own-
able rental income of the tenderers (amounting to EUR 1,620,000 ers “contribute to bearing the infrastructure cost incurred by the
and EUR 1,822,500 without VAT, respectively, with a lease term of municipality”. Infrastructure facilities are roads, sewage and water
25 years), and that the new sports hall is unable to substantiate the pipes to which the constructions in a specific area are connected.
“added value” of the new residential tower – as required in the Con- The explanatory remarks speak clearly of “agreements relating to
cept for High-Rise Buildings STEP 2025. establishing and bearing the cost of infrastructure measures that
become necessary in the course of zoning and development of
The AOB noted in general that the new high-rise building does not building land”.
per se provide “more” outstanding added value for the community
through contractually guaranteed concessions and services on the The law requires an association between the zoning of building land
part of the investors –in relation to the sports hall or modernisation and the infrastructure cost incurred by the municipality through
of the ice-skating facilities (as required in the current Concept for the development of the same. If educational institutions such as
High-Rise Buildings). schools were considered „infrastructure“ according to section 1a (1)
of the Vienna Building Code, then medical facilities, residential and
By deviating from the principles expressly defined in the High-Rise nursing homes, grocery shops, etc. that cater for the daily needs of
Buildings Concept 2002 and in the Thematic Concept for High-Rise the resident population would have to be included too. The AOB is
Buildings – STEP 2025, the citizens inevitably had to have the im- of the opinion that it cannot be assumed that the legislator has such
pression that zoning is granted in return for favours. a broad interpretation.
Regarding the Urban Development Contract according to § 1a of the According to the prohibition of coupling derived from the rule of
Vienna Building Code: law, the fulfilment of public tasks may not be made dependent on
Pursuant to section 1a of the Vienna Building Code, the municipality consideration by private parties as a matter of principle (cf. Klee-
is authorised to conclude agreements under civil law in its capacity wein, Vertragsraumordnung – Contractual Regional Planning [2003]
to exercise civil rights for supporting the fulfilment of the planning 280). If this were not the case, there would be a “sale of the zoning of
goals set down in section 1 ( 2), in particular for the provision of ad- building land or development regulations”. An association between
equate space for the required housing and for workspaces and pro- public service work and commercial or financial consideration from
duction sites for businesses, for industry and for providing services private parties is only permissible if there is an objective connection

between the service to be performed by the private party and the contracts with the public administration (see sections 54 to 62, in
work of the administration, the law authorises the public sector to particular section 56 of the German Administrative Procedure Act -
claim the consideration, a breach of the law is rules out, and the VwVfG, and section 124 German Federal Building Code - BauGB) do
proportionality principle is respected. not exist in Austria, and are thus not in the Building Code for Vienna.
The vagueness of the legal regulation of section 1a of the Building
The word “in particular” in section 1a (1) of the Vienna Building Code for Vienna thus calls for a restrictive interpretation.
Code suggests that listing the admissible contractual contents on
the implementation of the planning goals set down by law (provi- The extent to which the obligations entered into by the tenderers are
sion of adequate space for the required housing and for workplaces associated with the infrastructure cost incurred by the municipality
and production sites for businesses, for industry and for providing through the zoning of the building land is not evident to the AOB from
services of all kinds) is not exhaustive. It is hard to determine by the contract in question. Reference is thus made on page 4 of Explan-
interpretation whether the word “in particular” merely refers to the atory Report 3 to Plan no. 7984 to the already existing infrastructure,
planning goals or also to the sharing of the landowners in the in- the availability of the basic utility supply and disposal pipelines (sew-
frastructure cost incurred by the municipality (cf. Hecht/Pekar, image, water, electricity, gas, district heating) and the good connections
molex 2016, 78). of the district to the public transport system.
However, in case of doubt, any statutory authorisations with regard The absorption of cost for the construction of the sports hall and
to the Contractual Regional Planning will have to be interpreted re- the relocation of Lothringerstraße – which only became necessary
strictively (cf. Weber, Tiroler Vertragsraum(un)ordnung , ecolex 2000, through the implementation of the concrete construction projects
162, 164). Although the use of regional planning contracts will not – can in the opinion of the AOB not be viewed as “sharing” the “in-
be restricted to the contracts expressly mentioned in the law, the frastructure cost incurred by the municipality through the zoning of
administration does not have desired scope of action in the con- the building land” and is therefore not covered by the wording of
tract design. In particular those contracts are illegal that have no section 1a of the Vienna Building Code.
objective connection with the planning objectives under public law,
or are merely used to circumvent any forms of State action (Klee- The ordinary courts would have to decide in how far the infrastruc-
wein, Vertragsraumordnung - Contractual Regional Planning 287). ture contract in question is null and void on the grounds of a lack of
adequate legal cover in the event of a dispute (section 879 (1) of the
Raschauer (Investitionsverträge – Investment Contracts, wbl 2016, Austrian Civil Code (ABGB).
829, 835) explains that the currently prevailing regulations for con-
tractual regional planning applicable in Austria today demonstrate
clear characteristics of a so-called “formal legal delegation“ and are
Table 6.5: Presentati-
on by the AOB of the inadequate from a rule-of-law perspective. Regulations like those
anticipated added value in the German Administrative Procedure Act on the legitimacy of
(© AOB)

6.11 CONCLUSION: ASPECTS OF THE PLANNED HEUMARKT NEU PROJECT Against this background, the following aspects are of fundamental impor-
THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE ASSESSMENT tance for assessing the effects of the planned project on the Outstanding
Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna:
In summary, the following aspects can be determined that are relevant to
the assessment: • Building volumes and heights of the building ensemble, since these
parameters affect the visibility (close-up and distant view) and there-
• In general, the planned Heumarkt Neu project attempts to maintain fore a possible impairment of relevant visual axes.
and supplement the existing various uses on the Heumarkt Area. For • Materials and texture of the facade, since this has effects on the direct
this purpose, the tenderer held intensive discussions with the differ- urban context of the Ringstraße ensemble.
ent users supporting the project. • The above-mentioned comparison of the substantiations of the build-
• Another objective is to minimise existing urban planning deficits of ing’s added value by the City of Vienna and the AOB shows that their
the Heumarkt Area. Key elements of the list of measures are to create opinions differ greatly. As a consequence, the experts recommend
a square which is accessible to the public, and opportunities for pe- assessing the anticipated added value for the community resulting
destrians to cross the area. from the mixed use and the qualities of the free spaces of the build-
• The project of the Isay Weinfeld office that was developed within the ing ensemble within the scope of a separate and independent expert
scope of an international competition essentially picks up and contin- opinion.
ues the urban development and architectural attitude and volumes of
the existing InterContinental Hotel, by adding a tower. In contrast to
the existing hotel complex, the creation of rear sides is to be avoided
with a ‘facade family’ responding to the requirements of the urban de-
velopment environment.
• The City of Vienna and the AOB currently have very controversial views
with regard to the anticipated added value of the project for the com-
munity.
• The current Heumarkt Neu project dated May 2018 may be realised by
the tenderer within the existing legal framework (zoning and develop-
ment plan, urban planning contract).

83
7. ANALYSIS OF KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF VIENNA’S Period Development

URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND SKYLINE
Middle Ages
As the penultimate step of the analysis, the Chapter below provides an

The city prospers: Trade is flourishing, the crusader’s armies
overview on key steps of Vienna’s urban development.40 With a view to the
gather in Vienna, its political significance continues to grow. Vi-
tasks of this assessment, the urban structure is of particular relevance.
enna outgrows the Roman walls and includes St. Stephen, which
has remained the centre of the city up to the present day.
Based on this, the second paragraph provides an overview on the develop- 12th century
Vienna is awarded city rights in 1221 under the Babenberg duke
ment of Vienna’s historic skyline. Leopold VI. (1198-1230), and is becoming an important cultural
centre. The construction of the castle is started. Vienna’s city core
7.1 TABELLARISCHER ÜBERBLICK reaches about the area it maintained up to the 19th century.
Period Development Rudolf I. (1276 – 1282) establishes the monarchy of the

Habsburgs that continues until 1918.
Ancient times Rudolf IV. (1358 – 1365) initiates the construction of a new
13th century
The Roman camp Vindobona is established around 100 A.D. as Gothic nave and the spire of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. With its
height of 137 metres, the spire of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is still
one of the first Danube fortresses to protect against attacks from
the symbolic and visual centre of the city today.
the north. The course of the Roman walls can be seen on the city
around 100 A.D.
map up to this day: The streets Tiefer Graben, Rotenturmstraße
(more accurately: Rot' gasse, Kramergasse) and Salzgries follow Period of prosperity of Medieval Vienna, expressed in architec-
the location of the Roman walls slightly offset, while Graben and ture and urban design. Many streets of Medieval Vienna still
Naglergasse correspond exactly to the southern fortification. exist (inter alia Kärntner Straße, Rotenturmstraße, Herrengasse,
Wipplingerstraße). Many churches were built (inter alia Michael-
493 - 1137 The name Vindomina appears for the first time, and from 881
erkirche, Maria im Gestade, St. Augustin’s and Minorite church).
the name Wenia.
Outside the gates of the city, the first suburban settlements
Middle Ages 14.-15 century
th
arise between old villages and the city fortifications, serving
1137 Vienna is mentioned in documents as “civitas”. poorer craftsmen as residential and working sites.
The first Romanesque building of St. Stephen is built outside Friedrich II. (1440 – 1493) is the first Habsburger to become Ger-
1141 - 1177
the walls of the Roman city. man emperor. Vienna remains the residence of the Roman-Ger-
man emperors until 1806, ensuring the cultural and political
significance of the city.
40 This overview is mainly based on: Feuerstein, G. (1974). Wien heute und gestern / Architek-
tur-Stadtbild-Umraum. Vienna.

Period Development Period Development
Middle Ages Baroque

The double marriage of the Emperor’s grandchildren with the
Many new buildings are constructed around the medieval urban
1515 Hungarian and Bohemian heirs to the throne established the
core (sources mention up to 400 estates of aristocrats and 1000
Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
estates of bourgeois residents around 1740). The Gothic street
pattern remains intact, because a ring with many garden palaces
First Turkish siege of Vienna. As a consequence, the fortifi-
is established around the old urban core during the Baroque pe-
cations are continuously renewed between 1530 and 1683.
riod, which is separated from the core by the Glacis that is located
Bastions and the Glacis as a field of fire and defence are built
outside the fortifications. The Baroque building developments
1529 - 1683 between the growing suburbs and the inner city, which char-
are usually directed towards the medieval core or St. Stephen’s
acterise the city’s layout until about the middle of the 19th
Cathedral, respectively.41
century. Near suburbs are destroyed by the defenders, to pre-
The most famous Baroque project is the Lower and Upper Belve-
vent the attackers from entrenching themselves.
dere (Italian: beautiful view; French: Bellevue) which was built by
Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt (1668-1745) in forty years by order
Baroque of Prince Eugen of Savoy, as a synthesis of architecture, garden de-
sign and painting. Adjacent to the Belvedere is Palais Schwarzen-
After the victory over the Ottoman Empire, a new phase of Vi- berg, that was started before the turn of the 18th century also by
enna’s city development starts, with large-scale building ac- Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt.
tivities. Vienna experiences a unique period of late Baroque Together with Schwarzenberg Palais, the Belvedere is one of the
architecture, radiating from the centre and documented in last existing garden palais areas which are unique across Europe
magnificent garden palaces, churches and townhouses. and are based on the models of Versailles and Vaux le Vicomte42
Unlike the French Baroque developments, the relatively late During the times of Classicism and Biedermeier, there are no
from 1683 onset of the Austrian Baroque period, the medieval tradition round 1800 major urban developments but various minor squares and dif-
and close contact with Italy result in an urban development ferent churches.
that rather emphasises synthesis with the medieval core than

an exclusively axiomatic system. Although different profane
and sacral Baroque buildings are constructed in the inner city
after 1683, inter alia the Karlskirche established from 1716,
there is no attempt to change the compact structure of the 41 Norberg-Schultz, C. (1975), Architektur des Spätbarock, Volume 9 of the Weltgeschichte der
Architektur published by Pier Luigi Nervi, p. 242 et seq.
medieval urban core by geometric planning. 42 „Zu diesem Ganzen gehört nicht nur der Garten mit seinen Wasserkaskaden, sondern auch
dessen Lage am Hügel des Rennwegs, von dem man den vollkommenen Blick auf Wien hatte.
Es war eine strategische Position.“ See: Braunfels, W. (1979), Die Kunst im Heiligen Römischen
Reich, Bd. I, Die weltlichen Fürstentümer, Munich, page 56 et seqq.

Period Development Period Development
Gründerzeit Gründerzeit
Suppression of the revolution. Franz Josef I. ascends the In addition to the large representative buildings, numerous
1848 throne, and the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy is estab- palais and residential buildings are constructed in the style
lished. of Historicism. The uniform building height laid down in the
The Votivkirche is constructed by the architect Heinrich von Vienna Building Code, the historicising facades and the closed
1853 Ferstel (1828-1883) as one of the first historical buildings of development that is opposed to the magnificent buildings
Vienna in Gothic style. that stand out from their surroundings, give the Ringstraße
zone its uniform character.
Emperor Franz Josef initiates the removal of the fortifications
from 1857 and the construction of Ringstraße, that is to connect the 20 century
th
inner city to the suburbs (see Chapter 8). Otto Wagner (1841-1918) designs the Postsparkasse. While its
1904 scale and building height are in line with the surrounding build-
Start of a competition for the design of the newly acquired
areas of the former Glacis. Bavarian architect Ludwig Förster ings of Ringstraße, it has a much more functionalist facade.
(1797-1863) wins the 1st prize together with August Sicard von Adolf Loos (1870-1933) designs the Looshaus at Michaeler-
1910
Sicardsburg (1813-1868) and Eduard van der Nüll (1812-1868). platz (1910).
1932 Realisation of the Herrengasse High-Rise Building.

A circle of magnificent buildings, connected by green corridors
During the last years of the war, the Ringstraße ensemble suf-
and wide boulevards is to form the link between the city centre
1858 fers different damages that are usually covered with buildings
and the outskirts. There is no radical approach like for exam- 1943-45
after the war, being in line with the height of the neighbouring
ple in Paris, but the old structure of the city centre is respected.
buildings.
Ringstraße and Lastenstraße (also called Zweier-Linie) are the
organising structural elements. The costs of the monumental The Ringturm is realised according to plans of the architect
1955
buildings are paid with the sale of the properties, and in addi- Erich Boltenstern (1896-1991).
tion to the aristocracy, the rich middle class establishes itself as The Gartenbauhochhaus is realised according to plans of the
an economic power. 1963 architect Erich Boltenstern. The project causes a first debate
on high-rise buildings in Vienna.
One of the earliest and most important buildings of Ringstraße
is the Opera House, designed by August Sicard von Sicardsburg
The InterContinental Hotel is the first hotel of an international
and Eduard van der Nüll. The exterior design is characterised
from 1861 chain to be realised according to the basic design of Holabird
by a relatively low-key historical style of Neo-Renaissance. 1964
& Root and the plans of the architect Carl Appel (1911–1997).
This relatively low-key historical style is also characteristic for
The project also causes controversial debates in Vienna.
other magnificent buildings of Ringstraße.

Period Development Overall, the overview in the table above illustrates that it is a special fea-
ture of Vienna’s urban development history that individual development
20th century
steps were continuously built on each other for several centuries. At any
Inscription of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vi- stage of Vienna’s urban development, previous planning and construc-
enna on the World Heritage List during the 25th meeting of the tion stages were respected, and reference was made to them in the ur-
World Heritage Committee in Helsinki according to criteria (ii), ban design processes. From the early Middle Ages, St. Stephen’s Cathedral
(iv) and (vi), after a height restriction of the Wien Mitte high-rise which was built in the 13th century was the visual centre of Vienna, having
project had been agreed. a strong symbolic meaning in particular with regard to the conflicts with
2001 The area of nomination comprises the major part of Vienna’s the Ottoman Empire, since it is the symbol of the defence capability of
1st district and the most important Baroque axis comprising the
Christian armies.
Belvedere and Schwarzenberg parklands and palaces as well as
the Salesian Church and Convent at Rennweg.43 The world-wide
This evolutionary particularity resulted in a monocentric city structure
importance of Vienna for the history of music since the 16th cen-
where the “three main periods of European culture and political develop-
tury is also acknowledged.
ment – Middle Ages, the Baroque period and the Gründerzeit” (criterion
2003-05 The Wien Mitte project is realised according to a design of the iv) are still visible today. Also in terms of criterion ii of the Outstanding
architects Dieter Henke and Marta Schreieck with a lower build- Universal Value, it is particularly this characteristic of today‘s World Heri-
ing height than originally planned. tage property Historic Centre of Vienna that can be considered as particu-
Controversial discussions about the buildings on the Danube lar urban design and architectural quality and outstanding testimony to
Ab 2003
Canal. “a continuing change of values during the second millennium”44. That is
Controversial discussions about high-rise projects at Vienna Central
because this strong continuity of Vienna’s urban development resulted in
Train Station and the Kometgründe project, which is controversial-
the fact that the three “main periods of European culture and political de-
ly discussed mainly with regard to the World Heritage property
velopment – Middle Ages, the Baroque period and the Gründerzeit – are
from 2009 exceptionally well illustrated by the urban and architectural heritage of
Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens. The High-rise projects at the Cen-
tral Train Station are realised with a lower building height, and the the Historic Centre of Vienna”45. G. Feuerstein comments:
Kometgründe project has not been implemented so far.
“Such persistence of the old, even over the millennia, and superimposing
from 2011 Controversial discussions about the Heumarkt Neu project.
new structures may be considered a symptom for Vienna and its devel-
opment.”46
Inscription of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of
Vienna in the List of World Heritage in Danger due to the high-
2017-2018 rise projects at Heumarkt (decision 41 COM 7B.42). In the 43 Perspectives. (2002). Vienna and the World Heritage. p 38
Table 7.1: Time line of 44 Agreed German work translation from the English (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1033).
essential steps in the following meeting, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee Translated by the Ausrian UNESCO Commission (Zsófia Kelm, Ricarda Goethals) on behalf of the
development of Vienna’s extends this status by another year (decision 42 COM 8C.2). Federal Chancellery
urban structure 45 ibid
46 Feuerstein, G. (1974). Wien heute und gestern / Architektur-Stadtbild-Umraum. Vienna, p. 4

Only in the 20th century, the strong continuity of Vienna’s urban develop- already represents the City of Vienna in its Baroque development period,
ment is no longer seamlessly continued. In particular after the Second World which started from 1683. In its famous painting View of Vienna from the
War, there are reconstruction and high-rise projects of a type and scope that Belvedere, he includes St. Stephen’s Cathedral with the symmetry that is
cannot be arranged in the existing Medieval, Baroque and Gründerzeit city typical for the Baroque period, by framing it with the two cupolas of Karl-
structure. From the middle of the 1960s at the latest, this also results in con- skirche and Salesian Church. This view of Vienna (which at present does
troversial discussions of how to deal with such plans. These controversial not exist due to the vegetation of the Schwarzenbergpalais park) was de-
disputes have also accompanied the development of the World Heritage picted again and again in different time periods and numerous versions,
property Historic Centre of Vienna right from the beginning (cf. Chapter 5).
7.2 VIENNA’S HISTORIC SKYLINE
The particular urban and architectural qualities of the Medieval, Baroque

and Gründerzeit city structure were documented throughout the differ-
ent period of time in artistic representation of Vienna’s skyline. To find
out what aspects of the perception of the World Heritage property Historic
Centre of Vienna are essential, some of these representations will be ex-
amined in more detail below.
In 1649, Matthäus Merian der Ältere (1593 - 1650) shows Vienna as a capital
and residence city and as the centre of the Austro-Hungarian multi-ethnic
Fig. 7.1: Matthäus
state, with the Danube in the foreground. In addition to St. Stephen’s Ca- Merian the older: Vienna
thedral as the visual centre, the compact, monocentric city is character- in 1649
ising that is clearly visible although suburbs have already formed in the
areas outside the city fortifications.
Soon after, Wolfgang Wilhelm Prämer (1637-1716) depicts Vienna from a

different perspective, roughly corresponding to today’s location of the Fig. 7.2: Wolfgang
Belvedere. Also in this image, St. Stephen’s Cathedral forms the visual cen- Wilhelm Prämer, Stecher:
Tobias Sadeler. Prospec-
tre of the cityscape, which is even emphasised by the composition of the
tus meridionalis Viennae
spire in the centre of the image. Austriae, 1678 (design
of 1660). Copperplate
engraving after an ink
While the city images shown on this page are documenting the medieval drawing, 33x74 cm. (©
state of the city structure, Bernardo Bellotto, called Canaletto (1722 - 1780) Belvedere Vienna)

underlining the particular significance of the Belvedere with regard to the Canaletto‘s view of Vienna which was seen from the first level of the Upper
perception of Vienna’s skyline.47 Belvedere is therefore only one of many artistic representations showing
Vienna’s skyline from the Upper Belvedere. In many cases, the viewpoints
within Belvedere gardens are varied, resulting in slight changes in the rep-
47 See: Belvedere, Vienna, the artists and authors. (2018), Im Blick der Canalettoblick. Austria. resentation of the skyline.
In this context, reference should be made to the recent exhibition Im Blick

der Canalettoblick and the associated exhibition catalogue.48As an exam-
ple of these varied images of the city, there is a watercolour by Carl Schütz
choosing a viewpoint that is further east to Canaletto, bringing the Belve-
dere gardens to the front of the drawing for the first time. Schütz‘s water-
colour, widespread as coloured copper engraving, was copied again and
again and therefore considerably increased the popularity of the view of
Vienna from Belvedere gardens. A contributing factor was that unlike the
Fig. 7.3: Bernardo Bel- viewpoint chosen by Canaletto that was located on the first floor of the
lotto, called Canaletto,
View of Vienna from the Upper Belvedere, the viewpoint selected by Schütz could in general be vis-
Belvedere, 1759/60 (© ited by any visitor of the Upper Belvedere since it had been made available
Kunsthistorisches Muse-
to the public in 1777 as a picture gallery.49
um, Vienna)
In 1810, Johann Pezzl wrote: “The best viewpoint to see the entire city
including all suburbs, as much as possible, is the terrace in front of the
upper Belvedere, and there is also an illuminated copper engraving of this
view”.50
Fig. 7.4: Carl Schütz,

Vienna from the Bel- 48 See: Belvedere, Vienna, the artists and authors. (2018), Im Blick der Canalettoblick. Austria
vedere, 1784, black ink, 49 Belvedere, Vienna, the artists and authors. (2018), Im Blick der Canalettoblick. Austria, p. 47-49.
watercolour, 39x58.5 cm. 50 Johann Pezzl, Description of the capital and residence city of Vienna, Vienna 1816, p. 10 et seq.
(© Albertina, Vienna) In Belvedere, Vienna, the artists and authors. (2018), Im Blick der Canalettoblick. Austria. p. 49

About one hundred years later, Gustav Veith also shows Vienna in a view Other important viewpoints at high altitudes are the following places:
with the Belvedere gardens at the front, so that the two cupolas of Karl- • Gloriette
skirche and Salesian Church also form the foreground. On the occasion • Schloß Wilhelminenberg
of the World Exhibition 1873, Veith represented Vienna, which had been • Kahlenberg / Josefsdorf
extended since 1857, in a panoramic pen drawing, serving as a model for • Leopoldsberg
a lithograph.51 However, now the Gründerzeit development of the Ring- • Cobenzl
straße ensembles is in the foreground, which was opened in 1865, but
particular emphasis is still placed on the spatial link to St. Stephen’s Ca-
thedral and Belvedere gardens that can be seen in the foreground. This
link of three urban development periods is emphasised by Veith by bring-
ing the axis Schwarzenbergplatz–Schwarzenbergstraße as one of the few
spacious radials of Ringstraße ensemble in the foreground, making the
visual link to St. Stephen’s Cathedral clearly visible. Veith‘s representa-
tion therefore illustrates that St. Stephen’s Cathedral remains the visual
and symbolic centre of Vienna even after Vienna’s expansion during the
Gründerzeit by the Ringstraße ensemble.
Fig. 7.5: Gustav Veith.
Panorama of Vien-
Due to its topographical location, the City of Vienna is surrounded by dif- na’s urban expansion
ferent mountain ranges which are clearly visible in the background of zone, about 1873. Pen
and sepia. (© Vienna
the skyline, inter alia on the vedute of the city from the Belvedere. Vien-
Museum)
na was also represented many times from these surrounding mountains
in paintings, panoramic photographs or postcards. These images are to
be exemplified here by the painting View of Vienna from the Spinner on
the Cross by Jakob Alt that was painted from Triester Straße. This artistic
representation of Vienna also clearly shows St. Stephen’s Cathedral as the
visual centre of Vienna.
Fig.: 7.6: Jakob Alt: View

of Vienna from the Spin-
ner on the Cross, 1817,
Watercolour and opaque
paints (© Albertina,
51 Belvedere,Vienna, the artists and authors. (2018), Im Blick der Canalettoblick. Austria, p. 53 Vienna)

7.3 CONCLUSION: VIENNA’S HISTORIC SKYLINE ent residents of Vienna and is the best/only place today from where
the World Heritage area can almost completely be seen and its indi-
Overall, the analysis of Vienna’s historic urban structure results in the con- vidual development steps can be retraced,
clusion that its particularity comes from the connection between the geo- • despite urban development and growing processes the historic city
graphical location and the sequence of different development periods, silhouettes can still be recognised and that they have been respected
which overlapped without mutually impairing each other. Erich Feuer- until now during development processes of the city’s silhouette,
stein comments: • the above-mentioned aspects are key attributes of the World Heritage
property Historic Centre of Vienna expressing the Outstanding Univer-
“There may be only few cities showing such clear congruence between sal Value.
urban development, geographical location and historical evolution: Vi-
enna may be considered a classic example for a growth process of two Against this background, it must be verified to what extent the high-rise
thousand years which can be read in the city map to the present day. Such projects since 2001 in and around the World Heritage property and the
persistence of the old, even over millennia, and overlapping them with Heumarkt Neu project affect these attributes. For this purpose, the his-
new structures may be a symptom for Vienna and its development.”52 torically relevant viewpoints in the mountain ranges surrounding Vienna
must also be taken into account.
In summary, it can therefore be stated that
• Vienna’s structure is mainly characterised by monocentrality that is

further affected in particular by St. Stephen’s Cathedral as the visual
and symbolic centre,
• Vienna’s monocentral urban structure was caused by an overlap of
different urban and architectural development steps, continuously
building on each other and never mutually affecting each other until
the middle of the 20th century, but rather always complementing each
other in a symbiotic way,
• these particularities of Vienna’s urban structure and skyline were re-
peatedly documented in artistic representations during different time
periods, showing Vienna primarily from the surrounding mountain
ranges,
• the view from the Belvedere areas are of particular importance in this
context, since it was used time and again in different periods with dif-
ferent representations, so that this view is highly known to the pres-
52 Feuerstein, G. (1974). Wien heute und gestern / Architektur-Stadtbild-Umraum. Vienna, p. 5

8. ANALYSIS OF THE HISTORICAL AND URBAN DE-

VELOPMENT OF THE NARROWER AREA UNDER
ASSESSMENT
Complementing the preceding analysis of how the overall urban spatial an inner city area, as a remaining spacer between the fortress wall and the Fig. 8.1: City expansion
plan of the Ringstraße
context of Vienna was formed, Chapter 8 now focuses on the historical and approaching suburb that it was facing in clashing contrast. Like the suburb
ensemble, version of
urban assessment of the narrower area of the Ringstraße ensemble that re- itself, the inner city had also grown within and at the same time restricted 1860 (© Harald R.
sulted from the repurposing and new design of the former Glacis. by the fortifications, resulting in high densification and constriction. This Stühlinger, 2015. S. 301)
increasing development pressure and the growing social tension that had
This area may be divided into the tangential zone of Ringstraße and the par-
allel Zweier-linie structure, where the project area is located. In accordance
with the historical developments, this narrower area under assessment will
be reviewed in detail from a date which is relevant for the project area, which
is the period shortly before the launch of the competition for the urban de-
velopment of the Glacis in 1857. The urban and historical circumstances will
be summarised below in accordance with the chosen order and weighting.
8.1 CATEGORISATION IN THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORICAL

DEVELOPMENT OF THE FORMER GLACIS
Since the 13th century, Vienna had been surrounded by a fortification wall
that was further expanded as a more complex fortress because of the dis-
tinctive military conflicts in the 16th and 17th century. This also resulted in
the establishment of a wide meadow area in front of the fortification, the
so-called Glacis. Just before the urban development from 1858, the Glacis
was still part of a city fortification complex that had been maintained for
a relatively long time by European standards. Although some parts were
already used for non-military purposes, the construction of residential
buildings was still excluded. Originally built as a strategic free field of view
and fire outside the city fortification, it was an area of more than 200 ha
of restricted, primarily military and representative use (in addition: traffic,
recreation, trade and storage) before it was slighted.
The Glacis was therefore a zone with a construction ban in what was now

exploded in a popular uprising in Vienna in 1848, was a major reason for of the city fortification and ditches to create a new boulevard in this place.
lifting the construction ban and for the planned urban development of the The letter was published on 25 December on the 1st page of the official Wie-
Glacis from 1857. On 20 December 1857, Emperor Franz Joseph I. wrote a let- ner Zeitung and already contained instructions for the size and use of the
ter to the minister of the interior Alexander von Bach, ordering the slighting newly gained area, and the announcement of a design competition.
Fig. 8.2 a, b: Printed

contents of the imperial
letter by the Emperor
to the Minister of the
Interior, official part,
Wiener Zeitung, no. 296
(© Harald R. Stühlinger,
2015. p. 68-69)

8.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE RINGSTRASSE ENSEMBLE
In 1858 a competition was held for the design of the areas of the former
Glacis newly acquired as building land, that was won by architect Ludwig
Förster together with August Sicard von Sicardsburg and Eduard van der
Nüll. A ring of magnificent buildings, linked by green corridors and wide
boulevards was intended to form the link between the city centre and the
outskirts. Ringstraße and Lastenstraße were supposed to be the organis-
ing structural elements. The plan was designed neither radially nor grid- Fig. 8.3: The newly de-
shaped, but attempted a synthesis of these general urbanistic principles. signed Ringstraße with
the building sites of the
In general, the approach was less radical than for example in Paris: the old Parliament, Town Hall,
structure of the city centre was respected.53 University and Burgthe-
ater (© 150 Jahre Wiener
Stadtbauamt, page 79)
The earlier magnificent buildings of Ringstraße were the Opera House of
1861 that was built by the former winners of the competition. Parts of the started in the 1860s and the break caused by the influences during the
building were destroyed during WWII and rebuilt (Erich Boltenstern).54 First World War, the architecture of Ringstraße consists of a mix of differ-
Other examples for significant buildings of that time are for example the ent historicising forms that visualise the change in the architectural lan-
Parliament of 1873, the Burgtheater of 1874, the Town Hall of 1872 and the guage of Historicism in the different buildings. However, the coherence of
Natural History Museum opened in 1889. the ensemble is maintained by the recurring proportions and compliance
with the identified structural standardised dimensions. According to an
The state buildings were financed by selling the plots of land on the former analysis of architect Hans Puchhammer who managed the general refur-
Glacis to investors. The respective parcels were sold by the City Expansion bishment of the Vienna Konzerthaus from 1997-2001, these standardised
Fund formed in 1858 (which was also the owner of the WEV project property dimensions are eventually based on the module dimensions of the old
for almost 100 years from the beginning of the 20th century). One of the first brick size in Vienna, which again determines wall thickness, room and
investor buildings was the Heinrichshof of the brickmaker Heinrich von Dra- building heights and road width. These underlying module dimensions
sche-Wartinberg, built by 1863 by the architect Theophil von Hansen, who combined with the rules of the Vienna Building Code at that time (deter-
had also designed many other distinctive buildings of Ringstraße. mination of storeys, maximum eaves and building heights, etc.) and the
preserved main features of the approved City Expansion Plan of 1859 re-
The result of the brisk construction activities during that time was a large sulted in the overall appearance of the Ringstraße ensemble. This overall
ensemble constructed in stages with its own urbanistic and typological appearance which is homogeneous from today’s view is supported by the
rules and characteristics. As a result of the long period of development historicised facades with Roman and Antique style elements.55
53 Feuerstein, G. (1974). Wien heute und gestern/ Architektur-Stadtbild-Umraum. Vienna. p. 17

54 Feuerstein, G. (1974), Wien heute und gestern/ Architektur-Stadtbild-Umraum, Vienna. 55 Municipal Department 21, Environmental Report on Plan 7984, Vienna, 2016

Another aspect of the homogeneous appearance of the Ringstraße en-

semble is its closed building stock along the street, which is in turn ac-
centuated in regular intervals by free-standing magnificent buildings for
public use which are deliberately moved away from this context. These
magnificent buildings get additional accents by their light natural stone
facades and are higher than the surrounding buildings, setting spatial
and visual accents in the road space.
8.3 PRESENT SITUATION OF THE RINGSTRASSE ENSEMBLE
In today’s urban morphology, it is possible to identify fundamental pre-

served main features of the city expansion plans from the 19th century.
At the same time, some deviations can be recognised that arose during
the implementation of the plans that took decades, or were caused in the
second half of the 20th century by city repairs and additions, respectively.
The gaps resulting from war damages after World War II (destruction or
damage of approx. 10% of the buildings of the Ringstraße ensemble) were
primarily filled with post-war buildings that usually could not reconnect
to the restrained elegance of the 1860s and 1870s with a corresponding
modern design.56 However, with a few exceptions like Ringturm, Garten-
bauhochhaus and the InterContinental Hotel / WEV, the principle of closed
building stock along the street has been maintained. Other exceptions
are the areas at the Danube Canal/Leopoldstadt and Zollamt/Wien-Mitte,
whose present-day building structure with regard to scale and height
deviates from the remaining Ringstraße ensemble due to severe damage
during WWII (cf. Chapter 3).
Fig. 8.4a,b: Left: Burgthe-
ater around 1900, in the
foreground: Town Hall
Park. Right: Parliament
building before 1898 at
today’s 2012 Universi-
tätsring (© Library of
Congress)
56 Feuerstein, G. (1974), Wien heute und gestern/ Architektur-Stadtbild-Umraum, Vienna..

In the Glacis Master Plan, today‘s Ringstraße ensemble is divided into Parkring ensemble forms a comparably long, straight segment of the
different ensembles and zones against the background of its present Ringstraße polygon and that there are hardly any radial connections to
morphological quality, and development proposals are made for each of the centre / inner city.
them.
According to this categorisation, the Heumarkt and the InterContinental

Hotel / WEV project area, respectively, are located in Zone 7 (Schuber-
tring/Parkring ensemble) in the outer parallel structure of the Ringstraße
ensemble. This area is characterised by the fact that the Schubertring/
Fig. 8.5: Division of the

Ringstraße ensembles
into different zones and
ensembles (© Glacis Mas-
ter Plan)

8.4 THE ZWEIER-LINIE – CLASSIFICATION OF THE PARALLEL STRUC- The eponymous function of Lastenstraße goes back to its former design
TURE OF THE RINGSTRASSE ENSEMBLE AND NARROWER AREA as a disburdening and additional transport infrastructure outside the rep-
UNDER ASSESSMENT resentative Ringstraße complex. The public image of the latter as a staged
grand boulevard should not be impaired by heavy traffic with any of the
The InterContinental Hotel / WEV project area is located in the outer parallel disturbing factors to be expected (noise, dirt, appearance of the transpor-
structure of the Ringstraße ensemble. This zone that runs parallel and tan- tation vehicles, traffic volume, etc.). The truck driving ban on the Ring that
gential for a few hundred metres is commonly also referred to as the Zwei- took effect at the start of the constructions works in the 1860s still applies
er-Linie (from about 1910) or Lastenstraße (less common after 1960), which today.
is a consequence of the historical functions of this outside ring of the former
Glacis. The designation Zweier-linie refers to the subway lines running there However, the term Zweier-Linie (formerly 2er-Linie) has become estab-
at that time, which were marked with the superscript 2. Number 2 in the in- lished. This term is also used hereinafter when talking about the out-
dex indicated the function of a transit line to the passengers which does not er parallel structure of the Ring, where the Heumarkt Neu project to be
run on Ringstraße.57 assessed is located. This is also quite suitable since this street still rep-
resents a relevant zone for public transport. It is also important to men-
tion the function of the Zweier-Linie as a road leading out of the city, that
57 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zweierlinie
Fig. 8.6 a,b: Aerial view

of Vienna in 2018, repre-
senting the project area
(red) (© Google Earth)

‒ unlike the Ring today ‒ only allows clockwise one-way traffic for private 8.5 CONCLUSION: FUNDAMENTAL FEATURES OF THE RINGSTRASSE
transport in both directions since 1972, and connects the 1st district to ENSEMBLE
the outer districts. In addition, a large part of the subway lines running in
tangential direction near the city centre are running underground in the Analysis of the narrower area under assessment shows that the complex
area near the Zweier-Linie, and therefore the regular subway entrances of the Ringstraße ensemble differs fundamentally from Gründerzeit inter-
also shape this busy area. ventions in other European cities, since it was relatively gently embed-
ded in Vienna’s existing urban structure. It is mainly conserved up until
The streets Lothringerstraße and Am Heumarkt are framing the project now and therefore it has a tremendous value for urban history. As Vittorio
area in the north-west and south-east and are located exactly on the Lampugnani notes:
Zweier-Linie structure. Historic remains of the railway tracks of the old
Zweier-Linie still exist today at Lothringerstraße as a connection between “The creation of Vienna‘s Ringstraße with the edifices lining it is a singular
Schwarzenbergplatz and Karlsplatz, but are only used for extra tours. A event in the history of European cities. […] The outcome was a total work
major part of the old railway tracks of the Zweier-Linie longer exist. of art that involved the most important architects of the second half of
the 19th century, from Gottfried Semper to Otto Wagner”58
Perception of the Ringstraße ensemble is determined by the following fac-

tors:
• The panoramic views of the city centre and St. Stephen’s Cathedral
from the surrounding mountain ranges which were already men-
tioned in the previous chapter.
• The space of the adjacent streets is essential for the visual perception
of the narrower area under assessment, bearing in mind that it is pos-
sible to drive on both sides of them in the area of the Zweier-Linie.
• Not only visual perspectives play a role for everyday perception, but
also, and above all, the sequentive perception of the polygonal Ring-
straße ensemble (pedestrian, perception from a car).
It is necessary to take account of these aspects in the visualisations of the

planned Heumarkt Neu project.
58 Lampugnani, V. (2018), Opinion in the expert procedure March 2018

99
9. ATTRIBUTES OF THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY

HISTORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA WHICH ARE RELE-
VANT TO THE ASSESSMENT
Based on the previous steps of the analysis, the following Chapter has the
objective of summarising those attributes (= characteristics) that express • form and design,
the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic • material and substance,
Centre of Vienna. This also serves to illustrate which characteristics of the • use and function,
extended and narrower area under assessment must be preserved in any • traditions, techniques and management systems,
case and must therefore not suffer from any impairment. • location and setting,
• language, and other forms of intangible heritage,
First of all, the connection between the UNESCO World Heritage properties • spirit and feeling,
and attributes should be explained. • other internal and external factors.
9.1 ATTRIBUTES OF WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTIES [§] 88. Integrity is a measure of the wholeness and intactness of the
natural and/or cultural heritage and its attributes. Examining the
The Outstanding Universal Value is expressed in particular characteristics, conditions of integrity therefore requires assessing the extent to
the so-called attributes of a World Heritage property. These attributes ‒ which the property
the Outstanding Universal Value 'on the ground' ‒ are essential for the au-
thenticity and integrity of UNESCO World Heritage properties. a) includes all elements necessary to express its Outstanding
Universal Value;
According to § 82 of the Operational Guidelines, attributes can manifest in b) is of adequate size to ensure the complete representation
physical form, have an intangible character and be associated with this of the features and processes which convey the property’s signifi-
site, or be expressed in specific processes. As the Operational Guidelines cance,
state: c) suffers from adverse effects of development and/or neglect.
This should be presented in a statement of integrity.

[§] 82. Depending on the type of cultural heritage, and its cultural
context, properties may be understood to meet the conditions of
authenticity if their cultural values (as recognized in the nomination
criteria proposed) are truthfully and credibly expressed through a From: UNESCO: Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World
variety of attributes including: Heritage Convention, version of 2016
Table 9.1: Attributes
according to § 82 of the
Operational Guidelines

9.2 CONCLUSION: ATTRIBUTES OF THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY

HISTORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA
In general, the effects of the more recent high-rise projects in the sur-
rounding area of the World Heritage property and the planned Heumarkt
Neu project on the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna must
be assessed in particular with regard to these aspects. As a starting point,
it is necessary to summarise the key attributes of the World Heritage prop-
erty Historic Centre of Vienna.
The analysis performed in Chapters 7 and 8 shows that the Outstanding

Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna
is expressed in the following attributes which must be considered in the
course of further assessment:

World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna
No. Attributes
Continuing interchange of values: Urban development and construction development of three key periods of European cultural
and political development – Middle Ages, Baroque, Gründerzeit – build upon each other over a long period without mutual
impairment.
1
These development steps complement each other in a symbiotic way to form a ‘total work of art’ representing Vienna as the
political and spiritual centre of the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire, which strongly contributed to European history from
the Middle Ages up to the breakdown of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
MIDDLE AGES (from ca. 1137)
Emergence of Vienna as a capital and residence city
Monocentric urban structure is established by the geographic location and the integration of Roman developments into the me-
dieval city structure, and construction of St. Stephen’s Cathedral as a symbolic and visual centre.
2
Key elements related to the assessment:
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral (from 1137)
BAROQUE (from 1683)

Emergence of a specific Austrian Baroque culture after final defence of Ottoman attacks.
Axial Baroque structures radiate from the centre in a ring shape, linking the city centre to the outskirts without altering the
forms the medieval centre.
3 Key elements related to the assessment:
• Belvedere (rom 1697)
• Palais Schwarzenberg (from 1751)
Visual relations document the visual and spiritual connection of the Baroque building developments with the medieval city
centre and St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
4 Key elements related to the assessment:
• City views from Belvedere

World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna
No. Attributes
GRÜNDERZEIT (1857 – 1918)

Construction of the Ringstraße ensemble as the centre of bourgeois culture: Designed as a large ensemble with its own urban design and typo-
logical rules, with open space systems radially aligned to the city centre with a tangential design.
Old Vienna brick format serving as module dimensions of the Gründerzeit urban landscape creates specific wall thickness, room
and building heights and street widths (Hans Puchhammer).
Vienna Building Code creates strict spatial frameworks (for example for the building height).
Residential buildings with homogeneous eaves height and facades of a mostly historicist design use closed building stock to
generate coherent streetscapes.
5 Magnificent buildings with public uses are higher, out of context and have historicist facades clad with natural stone to underline
their significance:
• Vienna State Opera (1869)

• Vienna Konzerthaus (1913)
Mixed use represents the bourgeois culture emerging since 1848 in a framework of green boulevards, squares and parks:
6 • Vienna Ice-Skating Club (1867)

• Stadtpark (1872)
• Vienna Konzerthaus (1913)
LEADING EUROPEAN MUSIC CENTRE from the Middle Ages until the 20th century
Birthplace and place of inspiration of numerous composers (e.g. J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, F. Schubert, Familiendy-
nastie Strauß, A. Schönberg), venues with international significance
Table 9.2: Attributes 7 Key elements related to the assessment:
of the World Heritage
• Vienna State Opera (1869)
property Historic Centre
of Vienna which are rele- • Konzerthaus (1913)
vant to the assessment


PART III ASSESSMENT
10. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY AND IMPACTS OF HIGH-

RISE PLANNING ON THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY
HISTORIC CENTER OF VIENNA
11. IMPACTS OF THE PLANNED HEUMARKT NEU PROJECT ON

THE OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE OF THE WORLD
HERITAGE PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTER OF VIENNA


10. ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY AND IMPACTS OF

HIGH-RISE PLANNING ON THE WORLD HERITAGE
PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTER OF VIENNA
The impacts of high-rise planning in the buffer zone and the planned 10.2 EVALUATION OF TRANSFORMATIONS – GUIDELINES AND CRITERIA
Table 10.1: Positive and
Heumarkt Neu project on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World The evaluation of the magnitude of changes is based on the guidelines for negative evaluation
Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna are evaluated hereinafter at Cultural Heritage Impact Assessments of World Heritage Sites of ICOMOS grades: (Original table
from the ICOMOS
different levels. (2011). The magnitude of the positive and negative impacts is evaluat- Guidance (2011),
ed in five categories, which are graded according to the following colour modified by B.
Relating to the nomination criteria stated in the Retrospective Statement spectrum for the sake of clarity: Seyedashrafi (2017))
of Outstanding Universal Value (cf. Chapter 3), the attributes suggested in

the previous Chapter (cf. Chapter 9), and the guidelines stated in the ICO-
MOS Guidance for Heritage Impact Assessments in Cultural World Heritage
Ausmaß negativer Auswirkungen / Magnitude of Negative Impacts
Properties (cf. Chapter 2), this refers in particular to:
Severe (-5) Major (-4) Moderate Minor (-2) Negligible (-1)
1. Visual impacts on the World Heritage property Stark Groß (-3) Gering Vernachläs-
2. Functional and usage-relevant impacts on the World Heritage property Moderat sigbar
(= noise and green links)
Very strong impact on Highly significant Significantly impact Slightly significantly Insignificantly impact
3. Direct physical impacts on the World Heritage property
the key characteristics impact on key charac- on the key character- impact on the key on the key character-
4. Socio-economic impacts on the World Heritage property (= added of the cultural heritage teristics of the cultural istics of the cultural characteristics of the istics of the cultural
value of the project / external expert opinion) property that convey heritage property and heritage property and cultural heritage prop- heritage property and
5. Assessment of cumulative effects on the World Heritage property OUV, and its setting its setting its setting erty and its setting its setting
6. Impacts on objectives of the management of the World Heritage property
7. Impacts on the entire World Heritage property Ausmaß positiver Einflüsse / Magnitude of Beneficial Impacts
Major (+4) Moderate Minor (+2) Negligible (+1)

Most (+5)
Groß (+3) Gering Vernachläs-
10.1 VISUAL ANALYSIS – METHODS Stark
Moderat sigbar
Highly significant spa- Significantly spatial Slightly significant-
The first step of the assessment is an evaluation of the visual impacts to Strong spatial and/ Insignificantly spatial
tial and/or socio-cul- and/or socio-cultural, ly spatial and/or
be expected of the high-rise planning from 2001 in the adjacent areas of or socio-cultural, and and/or socio-cultural,
tural, and economic and economic benefits socio-cultural, and
the World Heritage area to the Outstanding Universal Value of the World economic benefits for and economic benefits
benefits for cultural for cultural heritage economic benefits for
Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. cultural heritage prop- for cultural heritage
heritage property and property and its cultural heritage prop-
erty and its setting property and its setting
its setting setting erty and its setting

The evaluation refers to the attributes developed in Chapter 9. If attri- The viewpoints with cultural heritage significance in high-altitude areas
butes are of no relevance, this will be stated in the evaluations. Irrelevant and their connection to St. Stephen’s Cathedral play an essential role for
attributes are not included in the evaluation. assessing the visual impacts of the high-rise planning from 2001 (cf. Visual
category 1 and Fig. 10.1 – extended area of assessment).
10.3 DOCUMENTATION OF VISUALISATIONS In addition, sample checks were carried out in the streetscape of the Ring-
straße ensemble on the impacts of the high-rise planning (see point of
Based on the brief analyses performed in Chapters 7 and 8, the following view Z). This check is not exhaustive, but serves as a general assessment
relevant visual categories and viewpoints were selected: of the consequences of high-rise developments perceived from Vienna’s
City Centre.
Visual category 1: Viewpoints with cultural heritage significance in
high-altitude areas: Visual category 2 and 3 which are located in the closer area under assess-
ment are used subsequently to assess the visual impacts of the Heumarkt
• A: Kahlenberg hill Neu project, since perception from nearby viewpoints is of particular im-
• B: Danube Tower (this viewpoint was classified in the category of view- portance (cf. Chapter 12).
points wit cultural heritage significance, since it is approximately in
line with the viewpoint of M. Merian’s historical cityscape of Vienna) In addition, a project visualisation of St. Stephen’s Cathedral was created
• C: Giant Ferris Wheel to check the impact of the planned project on Vienna’s skyline.
• D: Upper Belvedere
• S: St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Visual category 2: Image sequences from a pedestrian perspective:
• E: Belvedere gardens
• F: Albertinaplatz – Philharmoniker Straße
• G: Stadtpark
Visual category 3: Image sequences from a driver’s perspective bus / train

/ car (videos)
• H: St. Charles Church – Schwarzenbergplatz – Lothringerstraße

• I: Schwarzenbergplatz - Am Heumarkt
• J: Beatrixgasse - Am Heumarkt

A
S
G
F
J
H
I
E
closer area of assessment
D
michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy extended area of assessment

10.4 HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS AT THE EDGE OF THE BUFFER ZONE cording to Vienna’s Building Regulations: buildings with a height of more
than 35 metres, cf. chapter 5):
According to the problem definition, an analysis of the high-rise build-
ings at the edge of the buffer zone has to be performed in the first part • High-rise planning Wien Mitte / Zollamtsviertel
of the assessing analysis, taking account of possible “cumulative detri- • High-rise planning on Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt
mental effects” which were pointed out in the report of the Advisory Mis- • High-rise planning at Vienna Central Train Station
sion 2015.59 For this purpose, note must be taken that the inscription of
the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna was justified in the The next task is to clarify which consequences these high-rise develop-
nomination document with the authentic conservation status of the site, ments have for the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage
which originates, among other things, from the lack of high-rise buildings property Historic Centre of Vienna. Considering the previously determined
(cf. K1).60 attributes, the current state of the urban skyline is reviewed from view-
points with cultural heritage significance.
The mono-centric design with St. Stephen’s Cathedral as the structural,
visual and symbolic centre is crucial for Vienna’s urban structure. Both
the distance views from the surrounding mountain ranges as well as vi- 10.5 ANALYSIS OF THE HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS
sual axes from the various surrounding streetscapes to St. Stephen’s Ca-
thedral are of particularly high importance in Vienna’s urban space, since
they create a strong sense of identity. Although the preceding chapters
show that the integrity of Vienna’s historic skyline must be considered
with a more differentiated approach than in the Retrospective Statement
of Outstanding Universal Value, since various high-rise developments had
already been realised in and around the World Heritage area at the time
of the inscription (cf. Chapters 3, 5 and 7, 8), the historic skyline with St.
Stephen’s Cathedral as the centre is an important attribute of the World
Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. As a consequence, highest pri-
ority must be given to the protection of its visual integrity.
The following high-rise developments were mainly realised in the sur-

Fig. 10.1: Extended and roundings of Vienna‘s World Heritage area Historic Centre of Vienna and
closer area of assess-
its buffer zone since its inscription on 2001 in the World Heritage List (=ac-
ment (white), world
heritage area (red),
buffer zone (yellow) / 59 ICOMOS (2015): reactive monitoring mission for the World Heritage property “Historic Centre
visual categories and of Vienna” (mission report)
viewpoints (© Google 60 Republic of Austria. (2000). The World Heritage „The Historic Centre of Vienna“, Nomination
Earth/ mkphc) for inscription on the World Heritage List, Vienna.

Zollamt / Wien Mitte Danube canal/ Leopol

Donaustadt (1979-2014) (2001-2005) (2001-2012)
Donauturm
Millennium Tower
IZD Tower
Hochhaus Neue Donau Franz von Hoch Zwei
Internationales
DC Tower 1 Assisi Messe Wien Feuerleitturm Augarten Gefechtsturm Augarten
Zentrum Wien
Kirche Wohnturm Höchstädtplatz
SaturnTower Brigitta- City Tower Vienna
tgm
Mischek- AUVA-Hauptstelle kirche
Tower Ubahn Landstraße
VIEWPOINT A HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS - KAHLENBERG HILL
Situation: Kahlenberg hill is a well-known local recreation area, providing a panoramic view from the mountain
ranges of Vienna Woods of the entire city skyline of Vienna including St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The viewpoint is
approx. 7.8 kilometres away from St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Assessment: It is obvious that the high-rise planning from 2001 brought about lasting changes to Vienna’s city
skyline. However, there are a large variety of other transformations caused by high buildings and technical facil-
ities, for example the chimneys of power stations or transmitter masts.
Since the view of St. Stephen’s Cathedral remains unobstructed, the negative impact on the view of St. Stephen’s
Cathedral can be assessed as 'moderate'.

ldstadt
Central Station (since 2006)
Stephan's Cathedral
Hofburg Wien
Hotel Belvedere
Inter-
Conti- AKH Wien
nental
date: 26.10.2018 location: 48.274228,16.337084 aerial photography: Google Earth focal lenght of individual photo (panorama-stitch): 120mm (35mm equivalent) photography: Philipp Tebart
No. Attributes Impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value
1 Continuous exchange of values moderate (-3)
2 Monocentric urban structure moderate (-3)
3 Axial Baroque gardens irrelevant

A
4 Baroque visual connections irrelevant
5 Consistent design of the streetscapes irrelevant
6 Mixed use irrelevant
7 Leading European music centre irrelevant
Total moderate (-3)

Donaustadt (1979-2014) Danube canal/ Leopoldstadt (2001-201

Wohnturm Monte Verde Delugan- Meissl-Tower
DC Tower 1 Uniqa Hotel- und Geschäftsgebäud
Hochhaus Franz von Assisi Kirche Vienna Twin Towers
Mischek ORBI SO Vienna Hotel
Neue Donau Messe Wien A1 Telekom
Tower Hoch Tower City Hilton Stephan's Cat
Andromeda Zwei Prater Turm Tower Hotel Raiffeis
-Tower Vienna Galaxy Nieder
21
Area
Tower
VIEWPOINT B HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS - DANUBE TOWER
Situation: The Danube tower provides a view of the entire city skyline of Vienna. This panoramic view of Vienna
with the Danube in the foreground is characteristic also because the city was already presented from this per-
spective in engravings of Matthäus Merian. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is about 4.5 kilometres away from the Danube
tower.
Assessment: The panoramic photo shows that the historic skyline of Vienna is already intensively characterised
by many high buildings. The high-rise developments since 2001 reinforce this effect, but do not obscure the view
of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. These impacts can be assessed as 'moderate'.

12)
Müllverbrennungsanlage
Kriseninterventionszentrum Millennium Tower
de Spittelau - Hundertwasser
Ringturm
Votivkirche AKH Wien Fachhochschule
Rathaus
thedral Studiengang
Produkttechnologie-
sen-Holding
Wirtschaft
rösterreich-Wien

B
Total moderate (-3)

Central Station (since 2006) Zollamt / Wien-Mitte (2001-2005) Danube canal / Leopoldstadt (2001-2012)
Wiener Städtische Versicherung Bundesministerium für Stephan Cathedral

City Tower Vienna Gesundheit Rathaus St. Johann Nepomuk Kirche
ÖBB-Konzernzentrale
Karlskirche Regierungsgebäude Uniqa Tower SO Vienna Galaxy 21 Votivkirche Ringturm AKH Wien
Kath. Kirche St. Othmar Ubahn Hilton Bundesrech- SVA Jesu- Hotel IBM Raiffeisen
unter den Weißgerbern Land- Vienna
Buwog enzentrum iten- -Holding
straße
GmbH kirche Hochhaus
viewing direction southwest (city center)
VIEWPOINT C HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS - GIANT FERRIS WHEEL
Situation: The Giant Ferris Wheel is an important destination in Vienna. It is also internationally well-known,
therefore having great cultural heritage relevance. The Ferris Wheel provides a panoramic view of the skyline of
Vienna’s historical city centre, with their contours being very clearly recognisable due to the relatively low height
of the viewpoint. The viewpoint is approx. 1.9 kilometres away from St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Assessment: The post-war buildings of Leopoldstadt, but mainly also the high-rise developments established
from 2001 in the area of the Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt have irreversibly changed the historic skyline of Vienna.
Although St. Stephen’s Cathedral is still visible, its skyline is obscured by the more recent high-rise developments
which are now in the foreground. The impacts can be assessed as 'major'.

Donaustadt (1979-2014)
DC Tower 1
Donaufeldkirche Mischek Tower Hochhaus
Donau Tower Franz von
(St. Leopold) Neue Donau
Milleniumtower Floridotower PVA Saturn Tower Assisi
Ares Tower Kirche
viewing direction northeast (Donaustadt)
1 Continuous exchange of values major (-4)
2 Monocentric urban structure major (-4)

C 4 Baroque visual connections irrelevant
Total major (-4)

Belvedere Palace
Zollamt / Wien-Mitte (2001-2005)
Justizzentrum Wien Mitte

City Tower
VIEWPOINT D HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS - UPPER BELVEDERE
Situation: The viewpoint provides a view of the Upper Belvedere from the south-eastern part of the Belvedere
Gardens, which serves as point of access to the Baroque complex. Together with Schwarzenberg Palais, the Bel-
vedere is currently one of the last surviving garden palais grounds designed along the lines of Versailles and Vaux
le Vicomte, which are unique in Europe, even surpassing them because of its unique location. 1 The Belvedere as
one of the best known building ensembles in Vienna is highly contributing to the citizens’ sense of identity, and
is one of the key destinations of visitors of the city of Vienna. As a consequence, its cultural heritage relevance is
extremely high.
Assessment: In principle, the perception of the Upper Belvedere is still intact. However, the Wien Mitte project
causes changes, since the associated high-rise buildings are clearly visible and transform the basic axial design
of the Baroque complex. The impacts can be assessed as 'moderate'.
1 “Not only the garden with its water cascades belongs to this whole, but also its location on the hill of Rennweg, from which one had the perfect
view of Vienna. It was a strategic position.” See: Braunfels, W. (1979), The Art of the Holy Roman Empire, Vol. I, The Secular Principalities, Munich,
page 56ff

2 Monocentric urban structure irrelevant
3 Axial Baroque gardens moderate (-3)
4 Baroque visual connections moderate (-3)

D
Total moderate (-3)

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Danube canal/ Leopoldstadt (2001-2012)
Media- SO Vienna
tower Hotel
Raiffeisenlandes- InterContinental
bank Hotel
VIEWPOINT E HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS - CENTRAL AXIS BELVEDERE GARDENS
Situation: As already mentioned in the previous analysis, the view of the Belvedere gardens is by far the best
known view of Vienna’s historic skyline, with St. Stephen’s Cathedral as the dominating element. The viewpoint
therefore has very high cultural heritage relevance.
Assessment: The view of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is not impaired. However, the high-rise developments of
Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt can be clearly seen because they tower above the historic skyline, so that its
general impression is changed greatly. All in all, the impacts on Vienna’s historic skyline can be assessed as
'moderate-major'.

date: 26.10.2018 location: 48.191813,16.380863 aerial photography: Google Earth magnification from original photo (panorama), detail is equivalent to 120mm focal lenght (35mm equivalent) photography: Philipp Tebart
3 Axial Baroque gardens moderate (-3)
E 4 Baroque visual connections major (-4)
Total moderate-major (-3/-4)

Danube canal / Leopoldstadt (2001-2012)

Müllverbrennungsanlage
Gefechtsturm DC Tower 1
Spittelau - Messe Wien
Hundertwasser Augarten Urania-Sternwarte
Codename SVA Regierungsgebäude
Millennium Tower Stephan's Cathedral Hochhaus Neue Donau
Peter Wohnturm Höch- Prater Turm
Maria am Gestade städtplatz Raiffeisen-Holding Hochhaus North Tower SO
church IBM Donausturm Vienna Uniqa Tower Mariä Himmelfahr
Ringturm tgm AUVA-
Feuerleitturm Media- Hotel Universitätskirche
Haupt-
Augarten tower Galaxy 21
stelle
viewing direction northeast (Donaustadt)
VIEWPOINT S HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS - ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL
Situation: St. Stephen’s Cathedral is Vienna‘s symbolic and visual centre and it is also frequented by many visi-
tors. The panorama shows the view of Vienna’s cityscape from the Eastern side of the Cathedral.
Assessment: It can clearly be seen that there are major negative impacts of the historic skyline caused by various
older high buildings and the more recent high-rise developments in the area of Zollamt / Wien-Mitte (2001-2005)
and around the Central Train Station (from 2006). The impacts are to be classified as 'major'.

Zollamt / Wien-Mitte (2001-2005) Central Station (since 2006)
Maria Rotunda church Belvedere

ORBI Tower Herz Jesu church Franziskaner church
St. Othmar church City Tower Vienna Porr Hochhaus ÖBB-Konzernzentrale
Wiener-Stadtwerke Hl. Nikolaus
Ubahn Landstraße Arenberg- A1 Telekom Wiener Städt. St. Elisabeth
Bundesrech- Konzernzentrale church
rt/ Hilton Vienna Raiffeisen- park Krankenanstalt Wiener Versicherung
enzentrum Hotel
e zentral- Gasometer Rudolfstiftung InterCon- Konzer- Buwog Imperial
bank tinental thaus
Hotel
viewing direction southeast (project area)
2 Monocentric urban structure nicht relevant
3 Axial Baroque gardens nicht relevant

S 4 Baroque visual connections nicht relevant
5 Consistent design of the streetscapes nicht relevant
6 Mixed use nicht relevant
7 Leading European music centre nicht relevant
Total major (-4)

Zollamt / Wien-Mitte (2001-2005)
City Tower Vienna
Justizzentrum Wien
Mitte
VIEWPOINT Z HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENTS - WIEN RIVER / ZOLLAMTSSTEG
Situation: The area around Wien River / Zollamtssteg is characterised by the historic Gründerzeit buildings, the
trees planted along the streets and the traffic infrastructure designed by Otto Wagner.
Assessment: The high-rise developments of Wien Mitte tower over alter the shape of the historic sky-line without
being in line with the uniform appearance of the Gründerzeit development period. The impacts on Vienna’s his-
toric skyline can be assessed as 'major'.

date: 16.06.2018 location: 48.210565, 16.384130 aerial photography: Google Earth Foto: Michael Kloos
2 Monocentric urban structure irrelevant
Z 3 Axial Baroque gardens irrelevant
5 Consistent design of the streetscapes major (-4)
Total major (-4)

10.6 CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE MINIMISATION adopted by the City Council of Vienna on 5 May 2017, in which it was de-
OF NEGATIVE IMPACTS CAUSED BY HIGH-RISE PLANNING termined to build no more high-rise buildings both in Vienna’s city centre
and in the area covered by the Glacis Master Plan.
Overall, it must be stated that the high-rise developments realised since
2001 have significantly changed the distant view of the historic city centre Recommendation 2: Amendment of ‘STEP 2025 Thematic Concept High-Rise
of Vienna from many viewpoints with cultural heritage relevance: Buildings’ by exclusion zones
In addition, the STEP 2025 Thematic Concept High-Rise Buildings should
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral can no longer be easily recognised from the be amended within the meaning of the above-mentioned Proposed Reso-
Giant Ferris Wheel / DC Tower as the symbolic and visual centre of Vi- lution, so that Vienna’s World Heritage areas as well as the planning space
enna. As a consequence, it is no longer possible to experience the of the Glacis Master Plan are defined as exclusion zones for high-rise
mono-centrality of Vienna’s city structure. buildings. Views with cultural heritage relevance to Vienna’s city centre
• The view from the Belvedere gardens to Vienna’s historic city centre should also be defined in a traceable and clearly defined manner, and be
was changed significantly by the high-rise development of Danube recorded in the maps of the STEP 2025 Thematic Concept High-Rise Build-
Canal / Leopoldstadt. ings, to keep them clear of high-rise buildings.
• A random check of the consequences of the high-rise developments
in the area of Wien River / Zollamtssteg indicates that their height also Additional height limits should be defined for the planning space of the
impairs the visual integrity of the historic city centre of Vienna and Glacis Master Plan.
of the Ringstraße ensemble (restricted uniformity of the Gründerzeit
street-scapes).
Although it must be included in the assessment that Vienna’s historic sky-

line was impaired already before the inscription on the World Heritage
List, it has to be stated that there are “cumulative negative impacts” with-
in the meaning of the Advisory Mission 2015 report.
Considering the above, the following measures are recommended:
Recommendation 1: Exclusion of high-rise buildings in the world heritage area

Urban development should pay utmost attention to the historic lines of
view of St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the historic city centre of Vienna, re- Table 10.2: Impacts on
spectively, in the future. This applies to distant as well as up-close lines of attributes of the World
Heritage property
view. This can be based on the Proposed Resolution on the Protection and Historic Centre of Vienna
Development of the Historic City Centre of the City of Vienna, which was (© Baharak Seyedasrafi)


11. IMPACTS OF THE PLANNED HEUMARKT NEU

PROJECT ON THE OUV OF THE WORLD HERITAGE
PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA
As a second step in assessing the visual impacts, the consequences of the Visual category 1:
Viewpoints with cultural heritage significance in
planned Heumarkt Neu project for the Outstanding Universal Value of the high-altitude areas
World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna are reviewed below. • S: St Stephen’s Cathedral
As a consequence, the evaluation focuses on visualising the project in Visual category 2: Image sequences from a pedestrian perspective
Vienna’s historic urban space. Since it is usually perceived when moving • E: Belvedere gardens
(pedestrian or road traffic), the visualisations were compiled into se- • F: Albertina
quences (individual images and videos). • G: Stadtpark
In addition, a visualisation was created from St. Stephen’s Cathedral to Visual category 3: Video sequences from a driver’s perspective bus/ train
be able to assess the impacts of the planned Heumarkt Neu project on / car
Vienna’s historic skyline. The outline below shows the documented view- • H: Lothringerstraße
points and view corridors. • I: Am Heumarkt 1
• J: Am Heumarkt 2
Considering the preceding analysis, the assessment of the impacts of the
project Heumarkt Neu on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World
Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna has to take into account that
existing high-rise developments have already caused impairments. As a
consequence, the evaluation tables contain an assessment of the current
state and the expected future state in each case.
Referring to the preceding analysis (Chapter 7, Chapter 8) these sequences
were created in the following places:
Fig. 11.1: Visualisations

overview (@Google Earth
/ mkphc)

S - St Stephen’s Cathedral
•
G - sequence Stadtpark
F - sequence Albertina •
• • •
•
•
J - video sequence
•
• Am Heumarkt
•
H - video sequence
Lothringerstraße •
• •
I - video sequence
• Am Heumarkt
• ••
E sequence Belvedere
••
•• • •
closer area
michael kloos planning of assessment
and heritage consultancy
VIEWPOINT S ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL SOUTH TOWER
Situation: St. Stephen’s Cathedral is not only Vienna‘s symbolic and visual centre of Vienna, but it is also fre-
quented by many visitors. The panorama shows the view of Vienna’s cityscape from the Eastern side of the Ca-
thedral. The existing major negative impacts of the historic skyline caused by various older high buildings and
the more recent high-rise developments in the area of Zollamt / Wien-Mitte (2001-2005) and around the Central
Train Station (from 2006) can be clearly seen. The existing InterContinental Hotel is also clearly visible.
Assessment: The planned Heumarkt Neu project would be completely visible, but the building will not dominate
the historic skyline because of the many negative impacts that already exist. The impacts can still be classified
as 'major'.

date: 26.10.2018 location: 48.208316,16.373108 aerial photography: Google Earth magnification from panorama, detail is equivalent to 135mm focal lenght (35mm equivalent) visualisation: v-cube photography: Philipp Tebart
No. Attributes Current state Planned project
1 Continuous exchange of values major (-4) major (-4)
2 Monocentric urban structure irrelevant irrelevant
3 Axial Baroque gardens irrelevant irrelevant

S 4 Baroque visual connections irrelevant irrelevant
5 Consistent design of the streetscapes irrelevant irrelevant
6 Mixed use irrelevant irrelevant
7 Leading European music centre irrelevant irrelevant
Total major (-4) major (-4)

S core photography without photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

S core photography with photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

11.1 IMAGE SEQUENCES FROM A PEDESTRIAN PERSPECTIVE
>Sequence E: Belvedere gardens
The Belvedere and the Belvedere gardens create a sense of identity for the
inhabitants of Vienna, and are one of the key destinations for visitors of
the city. Due to its cultural heritage significance and reputation, the view
from the Belvedere gardens plays a major role for the perception of the
historic skyline of Vienna’s city centre.
Sequence E shows the planned Heumarkt Neu project from different view-
points within the Belvedere gardens to simulate the perception of the his-
toric skyline of the city centre in der everyday view of fictitious visitors of
the park.
To provide better orientation, historical images or historical photographs

were assigned to the visualisations wherever possible.
Fig. 11.2: Overview of

Sequence E (@Google
Earth/ mkphc)

E7
E9
E8
sequence E
E5 E6
E2 E3 E4
E1
viewpoints sequence E - Belvedere

SEQUENCE E - E1/2 WESTERN ENTRANCE AND SIDE WAY OF BELVEDERE GARDENS Historic illustration of Sphynx Statue
Situation: Viewpoint E2 shows the entrance to the western side way of the Belvedere gardens. The view of Vi-
enna’s historic city centre is characterised by the well-known sphinx sculpture in the foreground and the cupola
of the Salesian Convent and the Lower Belvedere in the background. The tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is not
visible. Although the high-rise developments in the area of Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt can be clearly seen in
this view, the connection of the historical elements of this view is still easily understandable.
Assessment: The planned Heumarkt Neu project appears as a new dominant high point next to the cupola of the
Salesian Convent at the end of the western side way. As a result of this dominance, the historical components
of the city skyline are greatly influenced, and their everyday perception is drastically changed. All in all, these
changes can be assessed as major-negative.

date: 26.10.2018 location E2: 48.191746,16.380120 aerial photography: Google Earth focal lenght of individual photo (panorama-stitch): 42mm (35mm equivalent) visualisation: v-cube photography: Philipp Tebart
1 Continuous exchange of values minor (-2) major (-4)
2 Monocentric urban structure minor (-2) moderate (-3)
3 Axial Baroque gardens minor (-2) major (-4)
E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 4 Baroque visual connections minor (-2) major (-4)

E1
Total minor (-2) major (-4)

E1 core photography without photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

E1 core photography with photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)



SEQUENCE E - E3/4/5 ZENTRALER GARTENBEREICH OBERES BELVEDERE Historic illustration of Upper Belvedere
Situation: The view of the historic city centre from the central axis of the Belvedere gardens is representative
of Vienna’s Baroque development. St. Stephen’s Church is clearly visible. Significant qualitative negative effects
already exist as a result of the high-rise developments in the area of the Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt and the
existing InterContinental Hotel, with its roof structurs towering above the skyline of the historical buildings.
Assessment: The planned Heumarkt Neu project appears as the ‘new‘ end of the axial Belvedere gardens, there-
fore particularly affecting the Baroque line of sight to the historic city centre. The dominance of St. Stephen’s
Cathedral in the historic cityscape is weakended, since the tower of the planned Heumarkt Neu creates a second
high point which creates a new visual centre also due to its proximity to the viewer, therefore making it difficult
to ‘read’ the historical urban development. As a consequence, the impacts have to be assessed as 'severely neg-
ative'.

date: 26.10.2018 location E4: 48.191813,16.380863 aerial photography: Google Earth focal lenght of individual photo (panorama-stitch): 42mm (35mm equivalent) visualisation: v-cube photography: Philipp Tebart
1 Continuous exchange of values major (-4) severe (-5)
2 Monocentric urban structure moderate (-3) severe (-5)
3 Axial Baroque gardens moderate (-3) severe (-5)
E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 4 Baroque visual connections major (-4) severe (-5)

E1
Total moderate-major (-3/-4) severe(-5)







SEQUENCE E - E6 EASTERN GARDEN AREA OF BELVEDERE
Situation: Seen from the eastern Belvedere gardens, the historic skyline of Vienna’s city centre seems relatively
intact. The high-rise developments in the area of the Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt are largely concealed by the
historical buildings. St. Stephen’s Church is still the dominant element of the historic city skyline.
Assessment: The tower as well as the slab-shaped building structure of the planned Heumarkt Neu project are
clearly visible. Although the view of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is not concealed, the Heumarkt Neu project results in
an additional vertical dominant in the cityscape, which is much more highly visible. This would result in dramatic
changes of the appearance of the city’s historic skyline, making it more difficult to ‘read’ the historical urban
development. As a consequence, the impacts have to be assessed as 'severely negative'.

date: 26.10.2018 location: 48.191903,16.381497 aerial photography: Google Earth focal lenght of individual photo (panorama-stitch): 42mm (35mm equivalent) visualisation: v-cube photography: Philipp Tebart
2 Monocentric urban structure moderate (-3) severe (-5)
3 Axial Baroque gardens moderate (-3) severe (-5)
E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 4 Baroque visual connections major (-4) severe (-5)

E1
Total moderat-groß (-3/-4) severe (-5)



SEQUENCE E - E7 EASTERN AREA OF MIDDLE PARTERRE
Situation: This viewpoint in the eastern part of the middle parterre of Belvedere gardens shows the Lower Bel-
vedere in the foreground, and the skyline of the historic city centre in the background. The tower of St. Stephen’s
Church is clearly visible in the centre of the image. Compared with the viewpoints in front of the Upper Belvedere,
the eye point is lower. Therefore, the high-rise developments in the area of Danube Canal / Leopoldstadt are not
visible, so that the historical city skyline is largely unaffected.
Assessment: The tower of the planned Heumarkt Neu project appears next to St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the
cupola of the Salesian Convent as the third dominant high point above the historical city sky-line. Some parts of
the slab-shaped building structure of the planned Heumarkt Neu project are also visible, which strongly affects
the original appearance of St. Stephen’s Church as the visual centre of the city. This is all the more problematic
because this view of the city has been largely unaffected until now. As a consequence, the visual impacts have to
be assessed as 'severely negative'.

1 Continuous exchange of values minor (-2) severe (-5)
2 Monocentric urban structure minor (-2) severe (-5)
3 Axial Baroque gardens minor (-2) major (-4)
4 Baroque visual connections minor (-2) severe (-5)

E9 E7
E8
Total minor (-2) severe (-5)



SEQUENCE E - E8 CENTRAL GARDEN AXIS OF MIDDLE PARTERRE Historic photography of Middle Parterre
Situation: This viewpoint in the central area of the Middle Parterre of the Belvedere gardens shows a front view
of the Lower Belvedere with the skyline of the historic city centre in the background. The tower of St. Stephen’s
Church is clearly visible. Due to the lower eye point, the high-rise developments in the area of Danube Canal /
Leopoldstadt are only slightly visible, so that the historical city skyline appears largely unaffected.
Assessment: The tower of the planned Heumarkt Neu project is clearly visible, appearing in the centre as the
second dominant high point of the city skyline, visually dominating St. Stephen’s Cathedral. As a consequence,
the tower of St. Stephen’s Church is less dominant, strongly devaluing its original appearance as the visual centre
of the city and making it more difficult to ‘read’ the historical city skyline. In addition, the end of the Baroque axis
of the Belvedere gardens would now be the tower of the planned Heumarkt Neu project, which would strongly
alienate the axis. Therefore the visual impacts have to be assessed as 'severely negative'.

1 Continuous exchange of values minor (-2) severe (-5)
2 Monocentric urban structure minor (-2) severe (-5)
3 Axial Baroque gardens minor (-2) severe (-5)

E9 E7
E8



SEQUENCE E - E9 WESTERN AREA OF MIDDLE PARTERRE
Situation: This viewpoint shows the Lower Belvedere in the foreground of the historic city centre. As seen from
this viewpoint, the tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is less dominant in the historical city skyline, since it moves
out of the centre of the image.
Assessment: The tower of the planned Heumarkt Neu project appears as a dominant high point in the centre
above the historical city skyline. Therefore, the tower of St. Stephen’s Church is strongly deval-ued in its role as
the visual centre of the city. In addition, the intention of Belvedere gardens to draw the gaze to the distance is
impaired. Consequently, the visual impacts have to be assessed as 'severely negative'.

1 Continuous exchange of values negligible (-1) severe (-5)
2 Monocentric urban structure negligible (-1) severe (-5)
3 Axial Baroque gardens minor (-2) severe (-5)

E9 E7
E8



>Sequence F: Albertina
The Opera House was built during the Gründerzeit times as the first repre-
sentative public building of the Ringstraße ensemble. Although its natural
stone facade sets the monumental building apart from its urban context,
it creates a consistent image of the streetscape together with the other
adjacent buildings.
The sequence from Albertina in the direction of Walfischgasse serves to

investigate the potential impacts of the planned Heumarkt Neu project
from the perspective of Vienna’s historic city centre.
Fig. 11.3: Sequence F –

Albertina (© Google
Earth / mkphc)

F1 sequence F
F2
viewpoints sequence F - Albertina

SEQUENCE F - F1 ALBERTINAPLATZ
Situation: The viewpoint at Albertinaplatz provides a typical view of the Gründerzeit-style Ringstraße ensemble,
which also has a high degree of recognition due to the immediate proximity to the Vienna State Opera and the
Albertina Museum. The uniform appearance of the Gründerzeit-style closed development along Philharmoniker
Straße, which is typical for the Ringstraße ensemble, is characteristic. Currently there are no impairments of the
historical ensemble. Sequence F shows a further viewpoint F2 at the corner of Philharmoniker Straße / Kärnter
Straße, which, however, has proved to be irrelevant, since already from there the tower of the planned Heumarkt
Neu project would be completely obscured. For visualisation, the viewpoint F2 is shown on page 171 with a col-
ored overlay of the planned new building.
Assessment: The two top floors of the tower of the planned Heumarkt Neu project would be clearly visible from
Albertinaplatz. However, since the change would affect only the background of the historical ensemble, it would
change the character of the street only to a limited extent. The impacts of the planned Heumarkt Neu project
have to be assessed as 'minor-moderately negative'.

date: 26.10.2018 location: 48.204033, 16.368508 aerial photography: Google Earth focal lenght of individual photo (panorama-stitch): 32mm (35mm equivalent) visualisation: v-cube photography: Philipp Tebart
1 Continuous exchange of values no impairment minor/ moderate (-2/-3)
4 Baroque visual connections irrelevant irrelevant

F1
5 Consistent design of the streetscapes no impairment minor/ moderate (-2/-3)
6 Mixed use no impairment irrelevant
7 Leading European music centre no impairment irrelevant
Total no impairment minor/ moderate (-2/-3)

F1 core photography without photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

F1 core photography with photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

F2 core photography without photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

F2 core photography with photomontage (colored, covered) image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

>Sequence G: Stadtpark
The Stadtpark forms an essential part of the green areas replacing the
open space of the Glacis after the Ringstraße ensemble was built. The
park, which was designed in the style of an English landscape garden, is
divided into two parts by Wien River, which are linked by various bridges.
These bridges are of great importance because they link the two districts
1 and 3. Sequence G shows the current situation and the visual impacts of
the planned Heumarkt Neu project from key viewpoints, in particular the
bridges in the Stadtpark.
Fig. 11.4: Individual

image sequence G –
Stadtpark (© Google
Earth/ mkphc)

G1
sequence G
G2
G3
G4
viewpoints sequence G - Stadtpark

SEQUENCE G - G1 LITTLE HUNGARIAN BRIDGE
Situation: Little Hungarian Bridge serves as a link between districts 1 and 3 and is relatively busy. From here,
you can look through the Stadtpark across Wien River into the direction of the Heumarkt Area. Due to its large
scale, the slab-shaped structure of the existing Intercontinental Hotel is very dominant from this viewpoint, since
it conceals the perception of the Ringstraße ensemble seen from the Stadtpark. Only parts of the Konzerthaus
are visible. This effect is intensified by the fact that the urban design of the hotel building is not in line with the
buildings of the Ringstraße ensemble.
Assessment: Due to the greater height and length of its side wing and the larger tower of the new building, the
planned Heumarkt Neu project appears even more dominant than the present buildings of the Heumarkt Area.
The distinction between the Stadtpark and the Ringstraße ensemble becomes even more prominent, and there-
fore the impacts have to be assessed as 'severely negative'.

G1 5 Consistent design of the streetscapes major (-4) severe (-5)
7 Leading European music centre major (-4) major (-4)
Total major (-4) severe (-5)

G1 core photography without photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

G1 core photography with photomontage image is equivalent to 50mm focal length (35mm equivalent)

SEQUENCE G - G2 STADTPARK BRIDGE Historic photography of Wienportal im Stadtpark
Situation: The Stadtpark Bridge is heavily used by pedestrian traffic, since it connects districts 1 and 3. Similar to
the Little Hungarian Bridge, it offers a view along the Wien River, and some parts of the Konzerthaus at the Heu-
markt Area are visible in the background. Seen from the Stadtpark Bridge, the existing Intercontinental Hotel also
makes a very dominant statement because it interrupts the visual contact to the historical Ringstraße ensemble
and the Konzerthaus to some extent.
Assessment: Due to the higher and longer slab-shaped wing, the planned Heumarkt Neu project gives an even
more dominant impression than the existing Intercontinental Hotel. This effect is even increased by the clearly
visible tower of the project. The impacts have to be assessed as 'severely negative'.


G2
5 Consistent design of the streetscapes major (-4) severe (-5)
7 Leading European music centre major (-4) major (-4)
Total major (-4) severe (-5)



SEQUENCE G - G3 VIENNA RIVER NEAR SUBWAY STATION STADTPARK
Situation: The viewpoint provides a view from the Stadtpark across Wien River and the entrance building of the
Stadtpark train stop in the direction of the Heumarkt Area. The Konzerthaus is clearly visible in the background.
Due to its large scale, the slab-shaped building structure of the InterContinental Hotel makes a very dominant
statement in this historical ensemble.
Assessment: Three building parts of the planned Heumarkt Neu project – base, slab, tower – are clearly visible.
Due to the increased dimensions of the slab-shaped building structure, the planned building complex gives an
even more dominant impression than the InterContinental Hotel, but the view of the Konzerthaus remains nearly
unchanged. However, due to the facade of the planned project, in particular the consistent implementation of
an open facade structure on all sides of the building, a significantly better design quality can be expected. The
impacts are assessed consistently as 'major negative'.

5 Consistent design of the streetscapes major (-4) major (-4)

G3
7 Leading European music centre negligible (-1) negligible (-1)
Total major (-4) major (-4)



SEQUENCE G - G4 JOHANNESGASSE
Situation: The viewpoint provides an overview on the intersections of Lothringerstraße / Johannesgasse / Stadt- Note concerning visualization G4:
park access. The existing building of the InterContinental Hotel dominates the point of intersection, since its scale
and urban design are not in line with the traditional concept of the Ringstraße ensemble and therefore do not In order to show the shifted position of Lothringerstraße in the visualization, it was
contribute to its consistent appearance. The Konzerthaus is clearly visible in the background. necessarry to supersede the volume of the Konzerthaus-building with the 3D model.
Hence, the appearance of the Konzerthaus-building in visualization G4 is not photo-
Assessment: The total building volume of the planned Heumarkt Neu project appears more dominant than the realistic.
existing building, because its slab-shaped element is higher than the existing building of the InterContinental Ho-
tel. In addition, this effect is strengthened due to the planned extension of the slab-shaped element in direction In addition, existing elements (such as trees or cars) of Lothringerstraße had to be
to the to be shifted Lothringerstraße. However, it can be expected that the facade of the new building will have retouched.
a higher design quality than the existing InterContinental Hotel, so that this effect will be slightly reduced. The
view of the Konzerthaus is partially concealed by the planned planting of trees. However, the greening and the To improve the display of Hotel InterContinental, the photograph shows in comparison
more accurate design of the ground floor area makes the entire roadside boundary of the Heumarkt Area more to the other photomontages a broadened angle of view of the single images (panorama-
attractive. All in all, these positive use-functional and the negative spatial aspects are confronting each other. stitch), similar to a 20 mm wide angle (35mm-equivalent).

date: 26.10.2018 location: 48.202654,16.378489 aerial photography: Google Earth focal lenght of individual photo (panorama-stitch): 20mm (35mm equivalent) visualization: v-cube photography: Philipp Tebart

G4
6 Mixed use major (-4) major (+4)
7 Leading European music centre major (-4) major (+4)
Total major (-4) major (-4) major (+4)

G4 core photography without photomontage image is equivalent to 20mm focal length wide angle (35mm equivalent)

G4 core photography with photomontage image is equivalent to 20mm focal length wide angle (35mm equivalent)

11.2 VIDEO SEQUENCES FROM A DRIVER’S PERSPECTIVE BUS / TRAIN /

CAR
In contrary to the Ringstraße, the streets Lothringer Straße and Am Heu-

markt have always been characterised by the fact, that the city space can
be perceived in two directions. The following video sequences show a
close-up view to the Heumarkt Areal out of this streetscape.
Fig. 11.5: Overview map

of the video sequences H,
I u. J (© Google Earth/
mkphc)

J1
J2
J3
H3
I2
H2
I1
H1
viewpoints video sequences H, I, J - Lothringerstraße / Am Heumarkt

>Video sequence H: Lothringerstraße
Existing situation: From the direction of Karlsplatz, the sequence leads the area of the existing InterContinental Hotel, which are caused by the low design quality of the base area and
to the Heumarkt Area. First of all, the homogenous overall impression of the facade of the hotel building.
the streetscape is a key characteristic, which is created primarily by the
limited building heights and the relatively homogenous historic facades. Assessment: Due to the relocation of Lothringerstraße and the heavy traffic, direct comparison of the two im-
The design of the Konzerthaus clearly shows that it is a public building. ages is possible only to a limited extent. However, it can be seen that the larger dimensions of the planned new
building of the InterContinental Hotel make it appear at a much larger scale than the existing hotel building. In
contrast, a higher design quality of the facade of the planned new hotel building on the top floors can be expect-
View sequence H1: The view to the Heumarkt Area is still dominated by ed, so that the increased solidity of the planned Heumarkt Neu project is slightly diminished. In the ground floor
the Konzerthaus, which is given a visual frame by the buildings along the area of the Heumarkt Area, the urban planning deficits are minimised by the more accurate design of the planned
street. Heumarkt Neu project. In addition, the wider pavement area makes the access routes to the Konzerthaus more
attractive.
Assessment: The planned Heumarkt Neu project can be clearly seen in
the background. In particular the tower of the planned project is distinc- All in all, the visual effects at a distant view have to be assessed as 'severely negative'. At close sight, the visual
tively more present in the streetscape than the existing building of the effects are ambivalent. The negative effects of the larger scale and the positive usage-functional consequences
InterContinental Hotel, since it is markedly higher than the Konzerthaus of the planned Heumarkt Neu project are opposed to each other.
and its scale and urban design are not in line with the traditional concept
of the Ringstraße ensemble.

View sequence H2: At the level of Schwarzenberplatz, the existing Inter-
Continental Hotel can be completely seen behind the Konzerthaus. Since 1 Continuous exchange of values major (-4) severe (-5)
its cubage is not in line with the urban context, there is a break in the
uniform sequence of spaces.
Assessment: This negative effect is even amplified by the planned Heu-
markt Neu project, since the large scale of the slab-shaped building has
much more dominance, and the tower is an alien element with regard to 5 Consistent design of the streetscapes major (-4) severe (-5)
the type of buildings of the Ringstraße ensemble.
6 Mixed use major (-4) major (+4)
7 Leading European music centre major (-4) major (+4)

View sequence H3: In spite of the heavy traffic, it can be clearly seen at
Total major (-4) severe (-5) major (+4)
the level of the Heumarkt Area that there are urban planning deficits in

193
H1 video frame without photomontage H1 video frame with photomontage

>Video sequence I: Am Heumarkt 1
Existing situation: The sequence simulates a sequence of images on the be classified with regard to its typology. In principle, this also applies to the slab-shaped building structure of the
street Am Heumarkt from Schwarzenbergplatz in the direction of Johan- planned Heumarkt Neu project. While its facade now has a higher design quality, it also exceeds the scale of the
nesgasse. The streetscape separates the districts 3 (right) and 1 (left). urban planning context many times.
All in all, the usage-functional effects of the planned Heumarkt Neu project and the spatial effects of the buildings
View sequence I1 shows that the existing buildings of the Heumarkt along the street between the Konzerthaus and the planned hew hotel complex can be assessed positively. The
Area give rise to an urban planning disruption. While the buildings of the negative spatial aspects of the existing InterContinental Hotel are slightly reduced. However, the oversized scale
Ice-Skating area seem to be too low in the context of the adjacent build- of the building base and the slab-shaped element of the planned Heumarkt Neu project, which can also not be
ings, the existing InterContinental Hotel exceeds their height many times. classified with regard to its typology, has to be assessed as negative. In total, the impact on the streetscape can
be assessed as 'moderate negative', which is opposed by the 'major positive' usage-functional consequence.
Assessment: This negative effect is corrected by the building of the
planned Heumarkt Neu project along the street planned between Konzert
haus and the hotel complex, since it is in line with the scale and height of
the adjacent buildings. The facade design of the project is also in line with
the verticality of the neighbouring Gründerzeit facades. This makes the
streetscape appear much more consistent than before so that it clearly
gains design quality. However, it is also clearly visible that the transition
between the Konzerthaus and the newly planned building of the Heu-
markt Neu project shows weeknesses with regard to its design quality.
1 Continuous exchange of values severe (-5) moderate (-3)

View sequence I2 shows the street Am Heumarkt just before the junc-
tion area with Johannesgasse. The urban planning deficits of the exist-
ing buildings of the Heumarkt Area are clearly recognisable. There is no 3 Axial Baroque gardens irrelevant irrelevant
link between the ground floor area and the streetscape, so that the entire
building complex of the WEV Area / InterContinental Hotel cannot be used
from the street. 5 Consistent design of the streetscapes severe (-5) moderate (-3)
6 Mixed use severe (-5) major (+4)

Assessment: The planned Heumarkt Neu project creates an improvement
of this situation, since opening the ground floor area to the street also fa- 7 Leading European music centre severe (-5) major (+4)
cilitates a mixed use. However, the scale of the facade design of the base
Total severe (-5) moderate (-3) major (+4)
area appears too large in the urban planning context, and it can also not

Heritage Impact Assessment Bauvorhaben Heumarkt Neu und Entwicklung der Welterbestätte Historisches Zentrum von Wien 195
I1 video frame without photomontage I1 video frame with photomontage
I2 video frame without photomontage I2 video frame with photomontage

>Video sequence J: Am Heumarkt 2
The third sequence of images also shows a section of the road Am Heu- All in all, also in this sequence of images the predominantly negative effects from a long distance view are op-
markt, but going into the opposite direction from the area of Zollamtsvier- posed by the positive effects on usage-relevant aspects when viewed close up. However, it is not possible to
tel / Wien Mitte, in the direction of the Heumarkt Area. place the scale and typology of the planned Heumarkt Neu project into the urban planning context.
View sequence J1 shows a view of the Heumarkt Area from the area of
Zollamtsviertel / Wien Mitte. First of all, the slab-shaped building structure
of the existing InterContinental Hotel is visible.
Assessment: The comparison shows that the building of the planned

Heumarkt Neu project is slightly more dominant, due to the larger build-
ing height and the clearly recognisable high point.
View sequence J2 essentially shows the same image of the existing Inter-
Continental Hotel.
Assessment: The volume of the slab-shaped building of the planned Heu-

markt Neu project appears higher. This effect is increased by the tower of
the project which is even higher than the slab-shaped building structure.

View sequence J3 shows the existing InterContinental Hotel viewed up
close. It is easy to see the deficits in the urban space which are generated 3 Axial Baroque gardens irrelevant irrelevant
by the elevated base construction, creating a back side in relation to the
urban context.
Assessment: The building volume of the planned Heumarkt Neu project ap-
6 Mixed use irrelevant major (+4)
pears distinctively higher if compared with the existing InterContinental Ho-
tel. However, the facade leads to expectations that the design quality will be 7 Leading European music centre irrelevant irrelevant
improved. This also applies for the area of the ground floor, which appears
Total major (-4) major (-4) major (+4)
much less unfriendly, since an entrance area to Johannesgasse is created.

197
J1 video frame without photomontage J1 video frame with photomontage

11.3 SUMMARY OF THE VISUAL EFFECTS

No. Viewpoints Current state Planned project
Overall, the visual effects of the planned Heumarkt Neu project on the a) Visual category 1: Viewpoints with cultural heritage significance in high altitude areas
Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property Historic Cen-
tre of Vienna can be summarised as follows: 01 >Viewpoint S: St. Stephen’s Cathedral major (-4) major (-4)
1. Seen from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the already existing major impair- b) Visual category 2: Image sequences from a pedestrian’s perspective
ments of Vienna’s city skyline remain roughly the same.
>Sequence E: Belvedere gardens
2. Seen from the Belvedere gardens, there are severe impairments re-
sulting from the scale and the building height of the planned project. 02 Viewpoint E1 / E2 minor (-2) major (-4)
3. Seen from the historic city centre (=World Heritage area Historic Centre
03 Viewpoint E3 / E4 / E5 moderate-major (-3/-4) severe (-5)
of Vienna), there are no impairments or only slight to moderate im-
pairments. 04 Viewpoint E6 moderate-major (-3/-4) severe (-5)
4. Seen from the Stadtpark, the major impairments caused by the exist-
05 Viewpoint E7 minor (-2) severe (-5)
ing InterContinental Hotel are aggravated mainly by the larger scale of
the slab-shaped building element, resulting in severe impairments. 06 Viewpoint E8 minor (-2) severe (-5)
5. Seen from close up, there are negative as well as positive effects: 07 Viewpoint E9 minor (-2) severe (-5)
• The higher design quality of the facade as well as the new planned
ground-floor entrances have positive effects on the cityscape and >Sequence F: Albertina
the usage-functional contexts of the Heumarkt Area (f. ex. improved 08 Viewpoint F1 no impairment minor-moderate (-2/-3)
opening of the Konzerthaus, reduction of the unfriendly appearance
of the ground floor area). 09 Viewpoint F2 no impairment no impairment
• The spatial situation of the road Am Heumarkt is improved in some >Sequence G: Stadtpark
places. In particular, the planned lower solitary building between
10 Viewpoint G1 major (-4) severe (-5)
the Konzerthaus and the new planned InterContinental Hotel re-
sponds in a sensitive manner to the spatial requirements. 11 Viewpoint G2 major (-4) severe (-5)
• The large building volume of the slab-shaped new building and
12 Viewpoint G3 major (-4) major (-4)
the tower have negative effects every time these building elements
are clearly visible in the cityscape of the Ringstraße ensemble. The 13 Viewpoint G4 major (-4) major (-4) major (+4)
scale of the Ringstraße ensemble is blown up in particular as seen c) Visual category 3: Video sequences from a driver’s perspective bus / train / car
from Lothringerstraße and from the Stadtpark. This is also caused
by the fact that it is not possible to place the scale and typology of 14 > Sequence H: Lothringerstraße major (-4) severe (-5) major (+4)
the planned Heumarkt Neu project into the urban planning context. 15 > Sequence I: Am Heumarkt 1 severe(-5) mod. (-3) major (+4)
16 > Sequence J: Am Heumarkt 2 major (-4) major (-4) major (+4)

Overall, this results in the following situation:

11.4 FUNCTIONAL AND USAGE-RELEVANT EFFECTS ON THE WORLD 11.5 DIRECT PHYSICAL EFFECTS ON THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY
HERITAGE PROPERTY
From today’s perspective, no negative direct effects on the cultural her-
As already stated above, the functional and usage-relevant effects can be itage in the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna are to be
assessed as largely positive: expected (in particular archaeological heritage on the Heumarkt Area or
impairments of existing monuments).
• The planned Heumarkt Neu project was developed in close dialogue
with the various institutions using the area, which are in favour of
the project. 11.6 SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS ON THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY
• In principle, the different uses in the Heumarkt Area are maintained, (= ADDED VALUE OF THE PROJECT)
enhanced and supplemented with other uses offered. This creates an
appropriated mix of uses in the Heumarkt Area. As already shown by the review of the visual effects, the assessment of
• The barrier effect of the Heumarkt Area is reduced, and its accessibil- the socio-economic added value for the general public of the planned
ity is improved. In addition, the creation of a new square provides a Heumarkt Neu project requires differentiated consideration. In general,
new public space. the above-mentioned improvements of usage-functional contexts on the
• In general, the high design/architectural ambition of the project pro- Heumarkt Area and the very severe impairments of the visual integrity of
motes the urbanistic upgrading of the Heumarkt Area which is ur- the World Heritage property, in particular in the three cityscapes of Bel-
gently needed. vedere gardens, Lothringerstraße and Stadtpark are opposing each other.
• However, due to the tight time frame and the lack of data, the fol- In addition, real estate economical aspects, for example the costs for leas-
lowing aspects could not be taken into consideration in this Heritage ing new created public institutions and the anticipated consequences of
Impact Assessment: the planned relocation of Lothringerstraße (cf. 11.6), could not be includ-
ed in the expert report.
• Consequences of the relocation of Lothringerstraße (in particular
structural issues caused by the location near the covered Wien Riv- The experts therefore suggest evaluating this subject in a separate report
er and estimate of the associated construction costs, possibly in- in a differentiated manner. To achieve maximum transparency, this eval-
creased noise to the residents of Beethovenplatz, changes to green uation should be created by an expert / expert institution which is com-
spaces (reduction of existing green areas at Beethovenplatz neces- pletely independent of the City of Vienna.
sary, planting new trees on the project area).
In general, it should be noted in this context that an anticipated public
Table 11.1: Visual effects As a consequence, the experts recommend involving these aspects in a added value cannot replace compliance with necessary measures pro-
of the Heumarkt Neu separate independent expert assessment of the socio-economic added tecting the Outstanding Universal Value, and therefore cannot be a reason
projects on the attributes
of the Historic Centre of value of the project (cf. Chapter 12.3). for accepting developments which have a potentially jeopardising effect
Vienna (mkphc) on the authenticity and integrity of the World Heritage property.

11.7 ASSESSMENT OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ON THE WORLD HERITAGE Centre of Vienna have to be assessed as severely negative.
PROPERTY
With regard to the assessment of the cumulative effects on the World Her- 11.8 EFFECTS ON OBJECTIVES OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE WORLD
itage property, the anticipated positive effects on the usage-functional HERITAGE PROPERTY
relationships are opposed by the negative visual effects on the three city-
scapes of Belvedere gardens, Lothringerstraße and Stadtpark. It is impossible to provide a final evaluation of the effects on objectives of
the management of the World Heritage property in this document, since
The last aspect plays an important role, primarily because this Heritage there is no officially adopted Management Plan for the World Heritage
Impact Assessment showed that high-rise developments since the in- property Historic Centre of Vienna.
scription of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna in the
World Heritage List in the year 2001 have already caused considerable im- With reference to the inscription criteria reviewed in Chapter 3 and the at-
pairments of the visual integrity and therefore the Outstanding Universal tributes of the World Heritage property determined in Chapter 9, it can be
Value of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna. This affects stated that in particular the negative consequences for the city’s historic
in particular the areas of Zollamtsviertel / Wien Mitte, Danube Canal / Leo- skyline as seen from the Belvedere gardens as well as the spatial relations
poldstadt and the district around the Central Train Station. The Wien Mitte of the Ringstraße ensemble in the area of Lothringerstraße and Stadtpark
project had almost resulted in the removal of the World Heritage property result in extremely unfavourable prerequisite for the management of the
Historic Centre of Vienna from the World Heritage List in the year 2020. World Heritage property.
The projects mentioned above are located outside the buffer zone of the Against this background, the anticipated effects on the management of
World Heritage property, but still have a considerable negative influence the planned Heumarkt Neu project on the World Heritage property Histor-
on their visual integrity. The planned Heumarkt Neu project continues ic Centre of Vienna have to be assessed as severely negative.
this development, but is now planned within the World Heritage prop-
erty Historic Centre of Vienna. Its location would have a negative impact
on the by far most striking historical line of sight of the World Heritage
property. In addition, the Ringstraße ensemble would suffer very serious
impairments, continuing and intensifying a negative development which
has continued for almost two decades and was already seen in a critical
light by the World Heritage Committee and by ICOMOS at the time of in-
scription on the World Heritage List and was subsequently criticised in a
number of resolutions.
Against this background, the cumulative effects to be expected from the

planned Heumarkt Neu project on the World Heritage property Historic

11.9 EFFECTS ON THE ENTIRE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY
Overall, the preceding investigation shows that due to the planned Heu-
markt Neu project with its severe visual impairments of the three city-
scapes of Belvedere gardens, Lothringerstraße and Stadtpark, very seri-
ous impairments of the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage
property Historic Centre of Vienna can be expected. These impairments
are opposed by the predominantly positive effects on usage-functional
relations.
Factor Effects
Visual / long-distance view Long-distance view: major – severely negative (-4 /-5)
Visual / close up view major (-4) moderate-major (+3)
Functional usage-relevant major-positive (+4)
Directly physical No impairments
Socio-economical To be assessed separately
Cumulative Severely negative (-5)
Management Severely negative (-5)
Overall World Heritage property Very severe and direct impairments of the Outstanding Universal Value and key attributes of the World Heritage property

Also with regard to the effects on the attributes of the World Heritage
property Historic Centre of Vienna, the analysis indicates that positive as-
pects with regard to functional and usage-relevant aspects are opposed
by the severe impairments of visual and spatial characteristics of the
World Heritage property:

From the point of view of the experts, very serious and direct impairments
of key attributes and therefore of the Outstanding Universal Value of the
World Heritage property have to be expected. As a consequence, these
impairments cannot be outweighed by the positive effects of the planned
Heumarkt Neu project to be expected. Therefore various measures and
corridors of action are suggested in the next Chapter, serving to work to-
wards minimising the anticipated impairments of the Outstanding Univer-
sal Value of the World Heritage property.
Table 11.2: Effects on

attributes of the World
Heritage property
Historic Centre of Vienna
(© Baharak Seyedasrafi)


PART IV RECOMMENDATIONS
12. RECOMMENDATIONS


12. RECOMMENDATIONS
The preceding review showed that the high-rise planning realised in the sibility and routes through the area. At the same time, care should
adjacent areas of the World Heritage property Historical Centre of Vienna be taken to avoid the impairments of the Outstanding Universal
since the inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 resulted in Value caused by the building height and the scale of the project.
severe impairments of Vienna’s historic skyline.
• Referring to the expert opinions of Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Lampugnani
In addition, very severe impairments of the Outstanding Universal Value and Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher in the Expert Procedure March
of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna have to be ex- 2018, it is therefore recommended “to use the Glacis Master Plan
pected, which are caused by the Heumarkt Neu project. At the same time, […] as a basis to conduct an in-depth urbanistic study of the area
there is no doubt that the Heumarkt Area currently has significant urban around the Heumarkt site“61, with the objective of achieving “an
planning deficits which urgently need restoration in line with the World adaptation of the planned building heights as well as of the scale
Heritage principles. of the project“62. Subsequently, the Heumarkt Neu project should
be completely revised, while largely maintaining its utilisation pro-
Against this background, it is recommended to take account of the recom- gramme and the high architectural ambition.
mendations of the Expert Procedure March 2018 to implement the follow-
ing 10-point list of measures as soon as possible:
12.2 RECOMMENDATION 2: USE THE PERIOD OF THE MORATORIUM TO
PREPARE A MANAGEMENT PLAN
12.1 RECOMMENDATION 1: TWO YEARS’ MORATORIUM AND REVIEW OF ALL
PLANNING MEASURES JEOPARDISING THE OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL • The period of this two years‘ moratorium and inclusion of the World
VALUE OF THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna in the List of World Heri-
tage in Danger (so-called ‘Red List‘), respectively, should be used to
• Since it is expected that the planned Heumarkt Neu project will re- prepare a Management Plan for the World Heritage property Histor-
sult in severe impairments of the Outstanding Universal Value of the ic Centre of Vienna in accordance with § 108-118 of the Operational
World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna, all parties involved Guidelines.
are recommended to suspend any other planning measures for the
next two years. • This Management Plan should describe in sufficient detail how to
maintain the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage
• This period should be used to explore possible World Heritage com- property Historic Centre of Vienna, and which strategic measures
patible alternatives for the current Heumarkt Neu project, taking
account of positive aspects of the current project, in particular the 61 Expert assessment of Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Vittorio Magnano Lampugnani during the Ex-
pert Workshop in March 2018.
architectural ambition and the facilitation and expansion of the exist- 62 Expert assessment of Univ. Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Christa Reicher during the Expert Workshop in
ing various uses in the Heumarkt Area as well as promoting its acces- March 2018.

Heritage Impact Assessment Bauvorhaben Heumarkt Neu und Entwicklung der Welterbestätte Historisches Zentrum von Wien 207
and instruments to use in order to guarantee its sustainable and fu- 12.4 RECOMMENDATION 4: DEFINITION OF ATTRIBUTES OF THE UNESCO
ture-proof development. WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY
• If the period of two years should be insufficient for completing and • During the assessment at hand, it was sought to identify and clearly
adopting the Management Plan by the Vienna City Council, it is recom- define fundamental attributes reflecting the Outstanding Universal Val-
mended to extend the moratorium by another year. ue of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna.
• However, naming these attributes had to be limited to the content

12.3 RECOMMENDATION 3: CLARIFICATION AND SPECIFICATION OF THE framework of the assessment and therefore this can only be the begin-
RETROSPECTIVE STATEMENT OF OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE ning of a complete attribute mapping for the World Heritage property
(RSoOUV) Historic Centre of Vienna.
• The detailed review of the RSoOUV showed that it is contradictory, and • As a consequence, it is necessary to prepare a complete definition /
that essential parts are missing in its official German translation, and mapping of attributes in the near future, which also forms the basis of
text passages have been translated in a misleading manner. As a conse- the above-mentioned Management Plan. If necessary, the attribute
quence, the RSoOUV should be promptly revised to prepare a solid basis mapping can also take place at the beginning of the development pro-
for preparing the above-mentioned Management Plan. cess of the Management Plan.
• Since the analysis showed that the mentioned “authentic historic sky-
line” is not in line with its actual state at the time of inscription on 2001, 12.5 RECOMMENDATION 5: AMENDMENT OF PROTECTION AND PLANNING
it should be clearly determined again during this revision, which char- INSTRUMENTS AT FEDERAL LEVEL
acteristics convey the authenticity with regard to the historic skyline of
Vienna and contain the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heri- • The analysis of the protection and planning instruments available to
tage property. This determination must be made in accordance with the protect the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna showed
information provided in the application to the World Heritage Commit- that there is a need for amendment. At federal level, this refers to the
tee, and must not result in a reinterpretation of the criteria which were Spatial Planning Law in which the UNESCO World Heritage should be
originally of essential significance for inclusion in the World Heritage list. mentioned as part of the public interest, at least in the countries with
World Heritage properties, so that it can be used to protect Austrian
• This Statement on Authenticity should be used as a basis for all future UNESCO World Heritage properties and in particular Historical Urban
planning measures of the City of Vienna affecting the historic city sky- Landscapes and Cultural Landscapes. This approach has proved highly
line. It should be noted that the undamaged historic silhouette of Vienna effective in Germany.
was the point of origin for an inclusion of the World Heritage property
Historic Centre of Vienna, and therefore its protection should also have • The Heritage Protection Law should be amended so that it can be
top priority. used to protect Austrian UNESCO World Heritage sites. According to

the opinion of the experts, it is particularly important to mention the 12.7 RECOMMENDATION 7: ADDING WORLD-HERITAGE RELEVANT GENER-
UNESCO World Heritage as part of the public interest in the Austrian AL PROTECTION AND PLANNING INSTRUMENTS AT THE LEVEL OF THE
Heritage Protection Law, since it is considered problematic that the CITY OF VIENNA
Austrian Federal Monuments Office currently does not regard itself re-
sponsible for the protection of Austrian UNESCO World Heritage prop- • To facilitate the effective protection and future-proof development
erties. of Vienna’s World Heritage properties as an integral part of a sustain-
able urban development, World Heritage relevant general protection
• In addition, amendments with regard to the protection of the sur- and planning instruments should be promptly added at the local lev-
roundings, an active application of the protection of historic ensem- el of the City of Vienna.
bles, the protection of visual axes which are important in terms of cul-
tural heritage should be included in the Austrian Heritage Protection • This relates in particular to amendments of the STEP 2025 Thematic
Law, so that it can be guaranteed that it is compatible with the require- Concept High-Rise Buildings with exclusion zones for high-rise build-
ments of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. ings in the area of the two World Heritage properties in Vienna, and
mapping Vienna‘s two World Heritage properties and their buffer
zones in all relevant maps which are part of the study. In addition, in-
12.6 RECOMMENDATION 6: ADDING FORMAL PROTECTION AND PLANNING formation on relevant historic visual axes, which must be kept clear of
INSTRUMENTS AT THE LEVEL OF THE CITY OF VIENNA high-rise buildings, in the entire metropolitan area of Vienna should
be added to the STEP 2025 Thematic Concept High-Rise Buildings.
• World Heritage relevant protection instruments should be added as
soon as possible at the local level of the City of Vienna, in order to fa- • The Glacis Master Plan should be amended by a restriction of build-
cilitate the effective protection of the two World Heritage properties ing heights, which will determine the admissible building heights
in Vienna. in the planning area of the master plan. This may be based on the
division of the Ringstraße Area into ‘ensembles’ and ‘zones’ which
• This refers in particular to the UNESCO World Heritage in the Vienna was made in the Glacis Master Plan. For this purpose, the historical
Building Code to provide a clear legal and administrative framework condition of the Ringstraße ensemble should be the key guideline.
for protecting the two World Heritage properties in Vienna in the fu-
ture.
12.8 RECOMMENDATION 8: COMPLETING AN INDEPENDENT STUDY ON THE
• In addition, the entire area of the World Heritage property Historic ADDED VALUE OF THE PLANNED HEUMARKT NEU PROJECT
Centre of Vienna should be completely covered by protection areas
(here: inclusion of Heumarkt Area), and the two World Heritage prop- • In this assessment, no statement could be made to what extent the
erties in Vienna and their buffer zones should be listed with text and planned Heumarkt Neu building will result in socio-economical add-
maps in the Land Development Plan. ed value, because the assessment of aspects such as an estimate of

the costs for leasing newly created public facilities is exceeding its are independent of the City of Vienna, and should facilitate the local
content framework. site management in particular with regard to the development of the
above-mentioned Management Plan and in the implementation of
• In addition, the data situation did not allow for the inclusion of con- the recommendations provided in the Heritage Impact Assessment.
sequences caused by the relocation of Lothringerstraße. This refers Subsequently the World Heritage Advisory Board should assist the
in particular to structural issues caused by the location near the cov- regular World Heritage Management in an advisory capacity.
ered Wien River and an estimate of the associated construction costs,
possibly increased noise to the residents of Beethovenplatz, and
changes to green spaces (reduction of existing green areas at Beetho- 12.10 RECOMMENDATION 10: INITIATING AN OPEN, INTERDISCIPLINARY
venplatz necessary, planting new trees on the project area). DIALOGUE ON VIENNA’S WORLD HERITAGE
• Therefore, it is recommended to have an institution/expert inde- • All experts of the Expert Procedure March 2018 agreed on advising
pendent of the City of Vienna prepare a separate assessment on this to hold and continuously maintain an interdisciplinary and interna-
subject. It is essential to note in this context that an expected public tional dialogue between politicians, investors, planning experts and
added value cannot be a replacement for complying with necessary citizens.
measures protecting the Outstanding Universal Value, and therefore
it cannot be a reason for accepting developments which are a po- • Against this background, it is recommended to use the process of
tential risk for the authenticity and integrity of the World Heritage developing the Management Plan for open dialogue and the close
property. involvement of citizens, and for ensuring a tight integration of this
dialogue with politicians, investors and planning experts.
12.9 RECOMMENDATION 9: ESTABLISHING A WORLD HERITAGE ADVISORY • Public events like Cities facing development and preservation con-
BOARD gress and workshop congress organised by the City of Vienna which
is to be held between 13 and 15 February 2019 should be used to
• Referring to the report of Dr. Ringbeck in the Expert Procedure March support this dialogue.
2018, it is recommended to promptly establish a World Heritage Advi-
sory Board for the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna.
• This World Heritage Advisory Board should be composed of not too

many persons with a profound knowledge on complex UNESCO
World Heritage properties, in particular Historic Urban Landscapes,
and on planning issues and Vienna’s urban development.
• The World Heritage Advisory Board should also include experts which


PART V APPENDIX
13. DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO

THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTRE OF
VIENNA
14. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE HERITAGE IMPACT

ASSESSMENT
15. SOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION ON THE HERITAGE

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

13. DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH RE-

GARD TO THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY HIS-
TORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA
First of all, the results of the Expert Workshops 2018 are summarised in ed which are relevant to the assessment. Due to the large number of different
compact form below.63 statements, this documentation cannot claim to be complete.
Subsequently the decisions and recommendations of the UNESCO World Her-

itage Committee and its advisory organisation ICOMOS International are stat- 13.1 EXPERT WORKSHOP MARCH 2018
Summary of the results of the Expert Procedure
• “There is no question that the site requires urgent action. In this sense, a project like Heumarkt Neu is welcome and overdue. The forms of use
planned for the site are virtually ideal both for the place itself and for Vienna:”
• “The architectural design that translates this programme into a built complex is pleasantly discreet and of above-average quality.”
• “The creation of Vienna‘s Ringstraße with the edifices lining it is a singular event in the history of European cities. […] The outcome was a total
work of art that involved the most important architects of the second half of the 19th century, from Gottfried Semper to Otto Wagner.”
• “Against this background, I recommend to use the Glacis Master Plan, an outstanding urban planning tool, as a basis to conduct an in-depth ur-
banistic study of the area around the Heumarkt site. If this study should confirm what I am convinced of on the strength of my experience as an
Univ. Prof. Dipl.- urban designer and planner, i.e. that it is necessary to preserve the historic eaves height of the Ringstraße structures and their building volumes
Ing. Dr. Vittorio and types in order to continue the urbanistic spirit of the historic ensemble of the Ringstraße and the adjoining buildings, then the Heumarkt Neu
Magnano project should be fundamentally revised while maintaining its usage programme as far as this is possible and observing the same architectural
Lampugnani standards.”
• “1. The project for the InterContinental Hotel, Vienna Ice-Skating Club and Konzerthaus area in its current state would impact its urbanistic context
so markedly and negatively that the conservation and value of the Viennese World Heritage property would be seriously threatened.
• 2. […]
• 3. The urban development of the Historic Centre of Vienna since its inscription on the World Heritage List has partly proceeded highly positive, but
partly also quite problematically, e.g. in the case of the superstructure spanning the Wien-Mitte Underground and commuter train (Schnellbahn)
hub. For the Heumarkt project, a very different, more city-compatible accent should indeed be embraced.
63 Please note: The objective of the Expert Workshops was amng others to assess building pro-
jects planned at Karlsplatz. All experts agreed in their findings that these building projects have
no negative, but rather positive effects on the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna.
Since this aspect is not relevant for the assessment, the associated comments will not be repro-
duced here.

• 4. The Historic Centre of Vienna must be able to evolve as a living organism; in my opinion, planning instruments are therefore more important
Univ. Prof.
than protection instruments. The Glacis Master Plan is a very good approach which, however, should be further deepened, specified and concre-
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.
tised, also with the support of experts from various disciplines and planning studios with experience in the field of urban design
Vittorio Mag-
• 5. The dialogue between politicians, investors, planning experts and citizens must be continuously maintained and conducted on an interdisci-
nano
plinary and international basis.”
Lampugnani
• “In order to safeguard the identity of a place, its readability and specific characteristics, it is becoming more and more important to distinguish
between identity-creating constants that must be preserved under all circumstances and possible variables of lesser architectural-cultural value.
Interventions into the urban structure within the framework of necessary renewal or appropriate densification must be evaluated according to the
readability and clarity of the spatial rhythms of a city as well as in conjunction with the added value for society.”
• “In balancing these different arguments and criteria, I do not consider the World Heritage property in its entirety as being threatened, especially
since the Heumarkt area is situated at the interface between core zone and buffer zone, and because it is absolutely necessary to eliminate the
current urbanistic deficiencies. The criteria ii and vi (see Question no. 1) are impaired only to a limited degree; criterion iv is not done justice by
the current plans, since the attempt to continue building on important key eras as aimed for by this object cannot be classified as a convincing
urbanistic layer of the 21st century.”
• “In my opinion, an adaptation of the planned building heights as well as of the scale of the project – in particular of the ensemble composed of
slab and tower – is called for. For this purpose, urbanistic options should be developed that would then need to be evaluated on the basis of the
abovementioned complex criteria. The objective must lie in finding a truly convincing solution for this important spot of the old city centre of Vien-
Univ. Prof. na; this solution should contribute to giving expression to the 21st-century urbanistic and architectural attitude of appropriateness and respectful
Dipl.-Ing. Chris- integration into the historic building stock.”
ta Reicher • “Since the nomination of the “Historic Centre of Vienna” for inscription on the World Heritage List in 2001, architectural changes have taken place
to meet the demands of social and demographic flux as well as of changing economic requirements. The changes that have thus occurred have
not attained a degree that truly threatens the value of the World Heritage property.”
• “The legal protection instruments for Vienna’s old city (protection zones as part of the Building Code for Vienna and monument protection apply-
ing to important buildings as a federal competency) and the possibilities inherent in them appear sufficient to protect the World Heritage property
[…] In my opinion, linking the existing legal instruments to the extensive range of informal instruments is more important than broadening and
tightening the former:”
• “Conflicts can only be avoided if dialogue is improved at three levels: 1. Dialogue between different disciplines, 2. Dialogue between the different
disciplines and actors involved, 3. Dialogue between politicians, experts and citizens. “

• “The integrity criterion is a conditional criterion, i.e. the typical characteristics must be preserved. The historically evolved skyline of Vienna,
which was specified as a key element of integrity in the statement declaring Vienna’s Outstanding Universal Value, was already significantly
impaired by the high-rises constructed after inscription on the World Heritage List. The fact that a new high-rise has now been approved within
the World Heritage property itself is proof positive that respect of the historically evolved cityscape is dwindling, and that the necessary repair
of urban planning deficits is not used for urban renewal measures which are compatible with the World Heritage status. This means that the
conservation and value of the World Heritage property are indeed threatened.”
• “The protection and planning instruments of the City of Vienna are adequate. Moreover, basics and guidelines are provided by the statements
Dr. Birgitta Ring- regarding the management of the World Heritage property contained in the nomination file as well as in texts, concepts and planning aids, such
beck as the Vienna Memorandum, the High-Rise Concept and the Glacis Master Plan. However, deficiencies exist with regard to actual compliance,
implementation, holistic approach and application.”
• “As already announced in 2000 in the World Heritage application, an international expert committee should be appointed and entrusted with
the following tasks:
• To accompany, develop and implement the management plan

• To monitor any projects and plans for the core and buffer zones that might have negative effects on the Outstanding Universal Value
• To streamline information and communication channels”

13.2 DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH REGARD TO THE UNESCO

WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY HISTORIC CENTRE OF VIENNA
UNESCO World Heritage Committee / ICOMOS State Parties / SOC
UNESCO World Heritage decisions

Year /
[Emphasis added by the authors to identify as- Comment
Meeting / Reactions of the City of Vienna
pects which are relevant to the assessment.]
Decision [Sources added by the authors]
Comments by the authors make the document
code
easier to understand and are highlighted in blue
2001 INSCRIPTION OF THE HISTORIC CITY CENTRE OF VIENNA ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST
Nomination Criteria:
Reference to new skyline out-

• (ii): The urban and architectural qualities of the Historic Centre of Vienna bear outstanding witness to a con-
side the buffer zone only in 2016
tinuing interchange of values throughout the second millennium.
after establishing the RSoOUV.
• (iv): Three key periods of European cultural and political development – the Middle Ages, the Baroque period,
and the Gründerzeit – are exceptionally well illustrated by the urban and architectural heritage of the Historic
Upon inscription on the World
25th session of the Centre of Vienna.
Heritage List, the Heritage Com-
Committee (CONF • (vi): Since the 16th century Vienna has been universally acknowledged to be the musical capital of Europe.
mittee made critical comments
208) • Integrity: all the attributes that sustain its OUV, including its architectural and urban qualities and layout, and
on the high-rise developments.
that illustrate its three major phases of development – medieval, Baroque, and the Gründerzeit – that symbol-
Helsinki, Finland ize Austrian and central European history. The Historic Centre of Vienna has also maintained its characteristic
Inscription was subject to the
skyline.
requirement that any more
• Authenticity: The property is substantially authentic in terms of its location, its forms and designs, and its
interfering high-rise develop-
substance and materials. This authenticity resides largely in the overlapping and multi-layered interweaving
ments should be avoided.
of urban buildings, structures, and spaces. The historic urban fabric of the Historic Centre of Vienna is thus
.
informed by this ongoing interchange, which has caused the urban landscape to evolve and grow over time,
reflected in the new, emerging skyline outside the buffer zone.


Year /
code
2001 The Wien-Mitte project provides for a building volume of about 80,000m2 usable space with 4 office towers, three of
Questions which have a height of 87 m and one has a height of 97 m.
• Discussion on whether high-rise build-

(Report of the World Heritage Committee):
ings in the buffer zone are compatible
25th session of the • The necessary measures to review the height and volume of
with the cityscape. [https://www.wien.
Committee (CONF the proposed new development near the Stadtpark, east of
gv.at/stadtentwicklung/projekte/wien-
208) the Ringstrasse, so as not to impair the visual integrity of the
mitte/entwicklung.html]
historic town.
• Recommended reduction of towers from
Helsinki, Finland • Necessary special attention to continuous monitoring and
97 m below 90 m. [https://www.wien.
control of any changes to the morphology of the historic
gv.at/stadtentwicklung/projekte/wien-
building stock.
mitte/entwicklung.html]
2002 1. Hochhausprojekt am Hauptbahnhof

Questions 2. Projekt Wien-Mitte
• Strongly recommends to limit any future large redevelop-

• Building permit for Wien-Mitte project
26th session of the ment activities in the buffer zone;
• Neighbouring „City Tower Vienna" also
Committee (CONF • Expresses its serious concern about the Wien-Mitte urban
obtains legally enforceable building
202) / CONF 202 development project, adjacent to the World Heritage site of
permit [https://www.wien.gv.at/stad-
Vienna and located in the buffer zone of the site, and in par-
tentwicklung/projekte/wienmitte/en-
Budapest, Hungary ticular about the architectural solutions and the height of the
twicklung.html]
proposed towers;


Year /
code
• April 2002: Urban guideline “Hochhäus-

er in Wien” adopted by the City Council.
[https://www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwick-
lung/grundlagen/hochhauskonzept/] Management plan was not fi-
• June 2002: Management Plan ffor two nally adopted
• Concern for the restoration practices currently observed in World Heritage sites; Historic Centre of
the Historic Centre and requests the authorities to establish Vienna and Schönbrunn Palace [M. Weh-
26th session of the building renovation regulations and authorisation proce dorn, Das historische Zentrum: Weltkul-
Committee (CONF dures. turerbe der UNESCO; p. 120]
202) / CONF 202 • Recommends to improve the technical capacities in the • October 2002: Preparation of a study on The significance of Baroque
field of historical building conservation, in order to ensure a attic conversions in Vienna. [M. Wehdorn, complexes, in particular the
Budapest, Hungary more efficient control of any possible negative impacts. Das historische Zentrum: Weltkulturerbe Belvedere, is emphasised as
• an ICOMOS expert visited Vienna and participated in a public der UNESCO; p. 107] unique development defining
debate on the project as well as having discussions with sev- • Publications: the cityscape.
eral Viennese authorities. a) Perspektiven. (2002). Wien und das Weltkul- [Perspektiven. (2002). Wien und
turerbe. das Weltkulturerbe]
b) Stadtentwicklung Wien; Magistratsatsabtei-
lung 18. (2002). Hochhäuser in Wien Städte-
bauliche Leitlinien, Werkstättenbericht Nr. 46.


Year /
code
2003
Elaboration of the new "Wien-Mitte" project, compatibility with the World Heritage property
Questions
• Acknowledges the establishment of a management plan as

well as the decision of the city authorities to revise the de-
sign of the “Wien-Mitte” project and to launch an architectur-
al competition on city planning and to amend the relevant
building codes;
• Request the State Party to provide a report in order that the
• March 2003: Investors decide not to real-
World Heritage Committee can examine the state of conser-
ise the project as originally planned. [City
vation of the property at its 28th session in 2004.
of Vienna, 2006, Vienna, World Heritage,
27th session of the • A “First Interim Report”
The state of the art. p. 12]
Committee (27 COM) / • Welcomed the positive development initiated by the state-
• Decision to modify the “Wien-Mitte” proj-
ment of the Mayor, Dr. Michael Häupl, therefore suggests that
ect to ensure its World Heritage compati-
Paris, UNESCO Head- the World Heritage Committee could refrain from delisting
bility [SOC 2003]:
quarters the site
1. Withdrawal of building permit for the
• “Wien-Mitte”, “scheduled for adoption before the end of
original project
2003” will actually be “compatible” with the World Heritage
2. It is intended to reduce the maximum
site [not exceed the height of the existing Hilton Hotel (60
building height.
m)]
• Management plan should lead to an improved co-operation
between the State authorities (Bundesdenkmalamt) and the
Municipal Authorities (MA19)
• Ask for improvements to the Building Code could check the
ever-growing number of roof extensions.


Year /
code
2004
Reduction of height and volume of the “Wien-Mitte” project to ensure compatibility with the World Heritage property
Questions
• Submission of Progress Report on the

new process of holding an architectural
competition. [SOC 2004].
• „The revised project consists of a main
building with a maximum height of 35 m,
and an oblong, slim building measuring
28th session of the • Considers the positive outcome concerning the ‘Wien-Mitte’ 70 m at its highest point“ [https://www.
Committee (28 COM) / project to be a notable success of the World Heritage Con- wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/projekte/
vention wienmitte/entwicklung.html]
Suzhou, China • Requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre • Decision to prepare the Zoning and De-
informed of the development of the ‘Wien-Mitte’ project. velopment Plan PD 7669 by the Vienna
City Council (2004)
• Publikation:
• Wehdorn, M., Csendes, P. und Schwarz,
M. (2004). Wien, Das historische Zen-
trum: Weltkulturerbe der UNESCO, eine
Dokumentation.


Year /
code
• May 2005: Urban Development Plan Vienna

2005 (STEP 2005) [City of Vienna, 2006, Vi-
enna, World Heritage, The State of the Art.
2005 p. 73]
• July 2005: Project of the ‚Kometgünde‘ com-
petition by architect Podsedensek is revised
in spring 2006 [City of Vienna, 2006, Vienna,
World Heritage, The State of the Art. p. 82]
Vienna Memorandum enables

• International conference on the subject of “World Heritage and Contemporary Architecture – Managing the inter alia to incorporate con-
Historic Urban Landscape) in Vienna / adoption of the ‘Vienna Memorandum’ temporary architecture in the
2005 • Publication: UNESCO World Heritage centre und City of Vienna. (2005). World Heritage and Contemporary Ar- historical urban context, pro-
chitecture. vided that this is done in a sen-
sitive and responsible manner.
The ‚Canaletto view‘ is defined

• Publication: as “visual axis with identifying
character for Vienna”.
a) City Administration of the City of Vienna
Essential visual axes and World
MA19 – Architecture and Urban Design. (2006).
2006 Heritage areas are defined as
Vienna World Heritage. State of the Art, Vienna.
“exclusion zones for high-rise
b) Stadt Wien und in Zukunft Wien. (2006). Ur-
buildings”.
ban Development Vienna: Urban Design. Vien- [City of Vienna, 2006, Vienna,
na World Heritage. State of the Art. World Heritage, The State of the
Art. p. 95]


Year /
code
1. Planned construction of the 100 m high building at Vienna Central Train Station
2008 2. New Kometgründe-Meidling project exceeds the maximum height of 60 m agreed with the State Party (“new Komet-
Questions gründe-Meidling structure suggests that its height exceeds the 60 meters which the State Party had agreed to maintain in
June 2006”)
• Urges the State Party to:

a) halt the construction of the 100 m building of the Vienna Central
Train Station project, the height would protrude above the trees
on one side of the Belvedere Palace Park;
b) carry out, in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and
• 11th October 2007: Start of the Wien-Mitte
ICOMOS, a comprehensive visual impact assessment of the entire
project: The building height of 120 m
project
(competition) had been reduced by 50%
• Requests the State Party to submit a report including the re-
to an absolute height of 73m (main build-
32nd session of the sults of the VIA for examination by the World Heritage Com-
ing with 60 m and partly an extension
Committee (32 COM) / mittee at its 33rd session in 2009.
with 4 stories) (https://www.wien.gv.at/
• Asked for the methodology used to assess the impact of the
stadtentwicklung/projekte/wienmitte/
Quebec City, Canada new structures on the WH property
entwicklung.html) [https://whc.unesco.
• The necessary of the visual axes were determined from a
org/en/soc/915]
standpoint of World Heritage compatibility
• Computer simulation by the City of Vienna
• City of Vienna’s evaluation did not examine the consequenc-
[SOC 2008]
es of the new high-rise buildings for the south front of the
Upper Belvedere Palace, and the area of the park (part of the
core zone)
• Unacceptable 100m-height tower which will protrude above
the tree line therefore this part should be halted and as-
sessed its visual negative impacts on the OUV


Year /
code
2009 1. Planned construction of the 100 m high building at Vienna Central Train Station
Questions 2. New Kometgründe-Meidling project exceeds the maximum height of 60 m agreed with the State Party
• Reducing the height of the tower from

100m to 88m for building of the Vienna
Central Train Station project [Conserva-
tion issues presented to the World Heri-
• Strongly urges the State Party to carry out the comprehen- tage Committee in 2009]
sive Visual Impact Assessment of the entire project, as re- • „The height reductions and relocations
quested by the World Heritage Committee at its 32nd session; of the high-rise buildings made in the
• Requests the State Party to halt any building permission for course of refining the master plan for the
33rd session of the this project until the VIA has been reviewed by ICOMOS so Vienna Central Train Station project are
Committee (33 COM) / that the project would not have any negative impact on the such that none of the 11 buildings would
OUV of the property; be visible from the park of Belvedere Pal-
Seville, Spain • define all visual axes; ace.”
• define all view points from which visual assessments • 12.2009 / 01.2010: Closure of the Süd-
would be important bahnhof and start of construction of
• involvement of all parties Vienna Central Station [https://www.
• definition of permissible heights slideshare.net/NALED/vienna-proj-
ect-management-vienna-central-station]
• Visual Impact Study for the UNESCO
World Heritage properties “Historic Cen-
tre of Vienna” and “Schönbrunn Palace
and Gardens”, 2009


Year /
code
2010
Possible effects of the “Vienna Railway Station” and “Kometgründe” projects on the OUV.
Questions
• Notes the considerable technical work involved in preparing and

submitting the Visual Impact Study
• Urges the State Party to further consider the adoption of local
architectural forms and roofscape colors and improve architec- • Visual Impact Study (VIS) for the UNESCO
tural volumes of the railway station complex when viewed from World Heritage properties “Historic Cen-
distances across the city; tre of Vienna” and “Schönbrunn Palace
• Requests the State Party to reconsider the approved 73m height and Gardens”, January 2010, includes
of the Kometgründe project tower-shaped section, to the previ- laser scans,façade point clouds,an accu-
ously recommended reduced 60m height; rate 3D topographic city map, a 3D build-
34th session of the • Several aspects and angles should have been further examined. ing information model and a 3D "roof
Committee (34 COM) / Specifically, the views of Vienna by night with illuminated high- model”.
rise buildings have not been given any weight, and the views in • Considers that the current status of the
Brasilia, Brazil winter were not sufficiently considered. railway station project does not impact
• The VIS study considers only 1.60m high pedestrian viewpoints adversely on the OUV, authenticity and
and all higher-level vantage points from across the city have integrity of the property.
been overlooked. • It was not possible to develop visualisa-
• High-rise buildings in the project had been subjected to the VIS. tions of all points of view requested by
• Several buildings have been recently demolished and, following ICOMOS. [Conservation issues presented
architectural competitions, fill-in buildings have been construct- to the World Heritage Committee in 2010]
ed, or were about to be realized.
• A further Visual Impact Study that addresses all views required
to ensure the protection of important views from and to the WH
properties.


Year /
code
2011
Possible effects of the “Vienna Railway Station” and “Kometgründe” projects on the OUV.
Questions
• Requests the State Party, given the multiplicity of develop- • Submitted a report on the state of con-
ment projects in the properties, their buffer zones and be- servation includes considerable illustra-
yond, to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS reactive tive additions to the 2010 Visual Impact
monitoring mission to the properties to assess: Study for the two WH properties [SOC
a) the proposed changes in the design of Vienna Main 2011]
Station,
b) the potential impact of new developments on the • Planned projects:
properties, • Kometgründe-Meidling project,
35th session of the
c) the integrity of views from within key places of the • High-rise construction projects in
Committee (35 COM) /
properties. Central Vienna: Vocational Horticul-
• Visual impact studies are undertaken from eye level within tural School Schönbrunn, Monte Laa,
Paris, UNESCO Head-
key places of the property and Urban development along Dan-
quarters
• Night-time views are also needed ube Canal.
• There is a need to provide a list of key areas within the prop- • High-rise construction project of Vi-
erty from which views have been considered. enna Main Train Station: High-rise site
Main Station – SEESTE, site Main Sta-
Urges the State Party to ensure that future impact assessments
tion – Erste Campus, InterCity section
consider impact on the OUV and conform with ICOMOS Guidance
of Main Station, High-rise site Main
on Heritage Impact Assessments for World Heritage cultural prop-
Station – Österreichische Bundes-
erties
bahnen (ÖBB) corporate headquar-
ters and lot A.01


Year /
code
2012
Visual Impact Assessment of new urban development on the existing urban fabric
Questions
Report of the UNESCO-ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to the

• The City of Vienna uses an advanced
World Heritage Properties
3D modelling technology that allows a
• The identification of key vistas is essential considering the attri-
proactive evaluation of possible visual
butes conveying the OUV of Vienna’s two WH properties.
impacts of new developments on the
• [HIA] would avoid launching projects that have a negative impact
existing urban fabric. [ICOMOS Reactive
on the authenticity and/or integrity of Vienna’s WH properties at
Monitoring Mission to the World Heritage
the outset.
property, 2015, p. 19]
• [Concerning High-rise developments,] it is recommended to con-
• Holding a cooperative urban expert pro-
duct comprehensive VIA that go beyond looking at one or two
WHC-13/37.COM/7B cedure (4 Workshops) [Rolle ICOMOS Ös-
“linear” or “static” vistas (visual axes) and identify all angles
terreich, In: Anlagen zur Projektdarstel-
and distances of visibility. This approach will provide valuable
17-20 Sep lung für HIA Welterbe-Projekt Heumarkt
information as to where visual impacts need to be limited or even
Wien]
avoided
• Professional hearing
• It strongly recommends establishing binding mechanisms of co-
• First public exhibition on the project (re-
operation with, in this particular case, the protection of historic
design of InterContinental Hotel area,
monuments being under the responsibility of the Federal State of
Vienna Ice-Skating Club and Vienna Kon-
Austria (Bundesdenkmalamt) and the protection of urban areas
zerthaus: [https://b2b.wien.info/media/
being under the responsibility of the City of Vienna.
files/vortrag-trojner-80-jour-fixe.pdf]
• A special attention has to be given to the conservation and pro-
• Ensemble Protection in Vienna. Concept
tection of the historic roof-scape. It is recommended to develop a
of Visual Axes.
“house by house” guideline for the use by owners and investors
in order to allow them a detailed and proactive orientation


Year /
code
2012
Questions
Report of the UNESCO-ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to

the World Heritage Properties
• Vienna Main Station and adjacent developments: it is recom-
mended to assess again the possible visual impact of 35 m
and 45/48 m height buildings (using the 3D tool), forming the
closest group to the Belvedere ensemble.
• Assess the potential impact of new developments on the OUV
of the properties,;
• Our Project of the Century – Vienna Cen-
a) Follow up of the Kometgründe-Meidling project, mainly
WHC-13/37.COM/7B tral Station … more than a railway sta-
concerning the WH Committee recommendation of 60 me-
tion [Unser Jahrhundertprojekt - Haupt-
tres maximum high.
17-20 Sep bahnhof Wien ... mehr als ein Bahnhof]
b) High-rise construction projects in Central Vienna:
(Publication)
i. Forum Schönbrunn project in the buffer zone of the
WH property “Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn”.
Follow up of its height and scale, as well as the sil-
houette.
ii. Vocational Horticultural School Schönbrunn: con-
struction of an additional wing, considered compati-
ble with the WH status by the State Party. WHC and AB
had not been informed at a planning stage.


Year /
code
2012
Questions
Report of the UNESCO-ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to

the World Heritage Properties
iii. Monte Laa: construction of 3 high-rise buildings of
65,100 and 110 m. Not visible from the city centre,
and nor interfering WH from the point of view of the
State Party. AB and WHC agree, despite its impact on
the skyline of Vienna in general.
iv. Urban Development along Danube Ca-
WHC-13/37.COM/7B nal: high-rise building of 78 m, immediately outside
the buffer zone of the “Historic Centre of Vienna”.
17-20 Sep The height was reduced to ensure compatibility with
the WH status.
v. Marillenalm project: in the vicinity of Schönbrunn. It
has been cancelled.
• Assess the integrity of views from within key places of the

properties, as components of OUV. • Mainly the previously
suggested views by night and from upper level vantage
points.


Year /
code
2013 1. Wien-Mitte high-rise project

Questions 2. Developments around Vienna Central Train Station
3. Urban restructuring around InterContinental Hotel
• Submitted a report on the state that

highlights new urban restructuring op-
• Urges the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre portunities in the area of the Vienna
and the Advisory Bodies with details of the two proposed Ice-Skating Club, Intercontinental Hotel
options for the development of the in and around the Inter- and Vienna Music-Konzerthaus [SOC
continental Hotel, and also urges the State Party to halt any 2013]
redevelopment higher than existing structures until an eval- • For the site SEESTE (60m height) work
uation has been made by the Advisory Bodies; began in early 2013, for ERSTE (26-50m
37 th
session of the • Requests the State Party to integrate standard requirements height) in 2011 and for the Intercity Sec-
Committee (37 COM) / for comprehensive VIA in relation to the OUV of the proper- tion (55 and 60m height) in 2012. The
ties in its urban planning policies (including regulations for construction of the tallest buildings in
Phnom Penh, night-time impacts caused by illuminated advertisements); the complex, the corporate headquarters
Cambodia • Note the opportunity to improve the quality of this neighbor- of the Österreichische Bundesbahnen
hood and perhaps even reduce the existing visual impact of (ÖBB) (up to 88m height) has also com-
the Intercontinental Hotel. menced in 2011 [SOC 2013]
• Participatory approach to find solutions • Prof. Dr. Lipp gibt provides a comment
• The 46 of Vienna’s Urban Development Guidelines is revised on behalf of ICOMOS Austria on the final
to include requirements for comprehensive VIS, comprising a report of the cooperative urban expert
variety of variables, seasonal and light situations. procedure. [ICOMOS Österreich, In Anla-
gen zur Projektdarstellung für HIA Wel-
terbe-Projekt Heumarkt Wien]


Year /
code
2014 ICOMOS Technical Review concerning the new project proposed in and around the InterContinental Hotel as well as rede-
Questions velopment Project “Vienna Ice Skating Club / InterContinental Hotel / Vienna Konzerthaus”
ICOMOS Technical Review

• The challenge lies in the visual relationship between the
• International architectural competition
building of the Hotel Intercontinental (volume, height) and
• Evaluation of the competition entries by
Belvedere Palaces and garden. Currently, this hotel strongly
ICOMOS Austria. [c12 Rolle ICOMOS Ös-
disturbs the famous view from Belvedere. Therefore, no in-
terreich, IN Anlagen zur Projektdarstel-
crease to the buildings height should be aimed at in connec-
lung für HIA Welterbe-Projekt Heumarkt
tion with the redo.
Wien]
• Reducing the height of the building, and to improve the
• Main Building: Height 49,75m,
quality of the neighbourhood by defining a better use of the
• A tower building: 64.9 high springing
plot in terms of urban and community function.
from a platform 10.35 m high, to host
• The adapted “Vienna High-rise Concept” is on the one hand
Decision 37COM 7B.71 apartments for a total height of 75.25m;
to define binding exclusion zones for high-rise projects and
May • A third wing, 21.7m high, facing Heur-
on the other hand will set out areas suitable for potential
marktstrasse to host at basement and
high-rise structures within Vienna’s municipal territory”;
ground floor the Eisverein activities as
• Regulations concerning large-scale illuminated billboards or
well as apartments at upper floors [ICO-
advertising media on the buildings currently under construc-
MOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to the
tion that will be situated directly opposite Belvedere Palace;
World Heritage property, “Historic Cen-
• A master plan for the Glacis area will be developed by au-
tre of Vienna” (Austria) (C1033), 16-19
tumn 2014, on an initiative of the City of Vienna.
November 2015
• The Kometgründe project seems to be in order;
• Mission Report. p. 15]
• The Rathausstrasse 1 project: ICOMOS recommends that
technical details and full documentation of the project pro-
posal and design


Year /
code
2014 ICOMOS Technical Review concerning the new project proposed in and around the InterContinental Hotel as well as rede-
Questions velopment Project “Vienna Ice Skating Club / InterContinental Hotel / Vienna Konzerthaus”
• STEP 2025 Urban Development Plan Wien /

Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings, MA
21: “High buildings” (26-35 m height) and
“high-rise buildings“ (above 35 m) are differ-
ICOMOS Technical Review
entiated (Municipal Department 21 – District
Planning and Urban Land Use
• Concerning the proposed redevelopment project “Vienna
[Bosshard & Luchsinger Architekten AG
Ice Skating Club / InterContinental Hotel / Vienna Konzer-
STEP 2025, Fachkonzept, Hochhäuser. S. 15]
thaus” within the property, ICOMOS considers that the pro-
• Glacis Master Plan:
posed solution is not acceptable as it will strongly impact
1. Views from and to identification points
the visual qualities of the location and would further erode
with historical and identity-forming signif-
Decision 37COM 7B.71 the conditions of integrity and authenticity of the existing
icance
May skyline and townscape
2. Views considered as part of city vedute
and panoramic views that are important
for Vienna.
3. For example the following city vedute and
panoramic views are important: Kahlen-
berg, Leopoldsberg, Wilhelminenberg,
Upper Belvedere, Gloriette/Schönbrunn
Palance, Danube Tower, Giant Ferris Wheel
[City Administration of the City of Vienna, Munic-
ipal Department 21 District Planning and Urban
Land Use. Glacis Master Plan. 2014. p. 10]


Year /
code
2015 The Wien-Mitte project provides for a construction rea of approximately 80,000m2 with 4 office towers, three of which are
Questions 87m high and one of which is 97m high.
• Considers that the new tools developed since the 2012 mis-
sion do not appear to ensure that OUV is adequately protected. • Provides details of proposals to redevel-
• Requests the State Party to halt any further approvals for high- op this area at the edge of the property
rise projects until they can be fully appraised by the Advisory and to replace three buildings from the
39th session of the
Bodies on the basis of HIAs; early and mid-20th century. [SOC 2015]
• It is not clear how this Concept or the Glacis Master Plan relate • The design submitted is for a linear block
Bonn, Germany
to the Management Plan, nor how they relate to Vienna’s Ur- and a square tower, the latter 73 m in
ban Development Guidelines 46 (on high-rise development) height. [SOC 2015]
• ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to the World Heritage • State Party revised High-Rise Concept
property “Historic Centre of Vienna” (Austria) (C1033), Nov. and the new Glacis Master Plan.
2015, Mission Report
focusing on the Vienna Ice Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna Konzerthaus
2016 Vienna Eislaufverein / InterContinental Hotel / Kon-
development project
Questions zerthaus Project
• The State Party report does not address some of the more • The City of Vienna considers that the de-
broad-ranging requests made by the Committee at its 39th velopment project will not negatively
40th session of the session. impact the OUV of the property; based
Committee (40 COM) / • Requests the State Party to facilitate the preparation of re- on multi-year deliberations by interna-
vised planning rules and guidelines which: tional experts, who addressed the quali-
Istanbul, Turkey a) Establish parameters for the urban density as well as ties of urbanism and urban space and not
specific standards for building height and volume for the only the building height [SOC 2016]
property and buffer zone,


Year /
code
2016 Vienna Eislaufverein / InterContinental Hotel / Kon- focusing on the Vienna Ice Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna Konzerthaus
Questions zerthaus Project development project
b) Safeguard the urban morphology that is an essential

attribute of the property,
c) Encourage sustainable development in the property
and its buffer zone in harmony with its OUV,
d) Require that all high-rise projects are evaluated through
a comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), pre-
pared in accordance with the ICOMOS 2011 Guidance on • The halting of the development of the
HIAs for Cultural World Heritage properties, including refer- project at this time does not seem feasi-
ence to 3D visual simulations. ble [SOC 2016]
40 session of the
th
• High-Rise Concept and the Glacis Master Plan foresee con- • Start of the procedure for the redesign of
Committee (40 COM) / struction of high-rise buildings that would have an impact the Zoning and Development plan. [C12
on the urban form and character of the city. Rolle ICOMOS Österreich, IN Anlagen zur
Istanbul, Turkey • The absence of exclusion zones for high-rise buildings and Projektdarstellung für HIA Welterbe-Pro-
adequate instruments of control for height-volume and ur- jekt Heumarkt Wien]
ban density creates an expectation about development po- • Adoption of Retrospective Statements
tential by property owners and developers, which may in of Outstanding Universal Value
turn lead to further pressure for approval of other projects
contradictory with the property’s OUV.
• Renovation of buildings should be implemented using con-
temporary architectural solutions, which specifically respect
the historic roofscapes, which contribute to the authenticity
and integrity of the property.


Year /
code
• Vienna Ice-Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna

Konzerthaus project design does not address the recom-
mendations of the 2012 mission, particularly in relation to
height.
• Urges the State Party to facilitate a major revision of this proj-
ect design to:
I. Reduce the height of the proposed building to comply
with the recommendations of the 2012 mission report,
II. Take into account scale and massing in relation to the
characteristics of the location and the OUV of the prop-
40th session of the
erty,
III. Harmonize the project design with the attributes of
the specific location, which is an integral part of the prop-
Istanbul, Turkey
erty,
IV. Reduce the visual impact of the proposed building
on both the close urban context and views of the Historic
Centre of Vienna;
• Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage
Centre, an updated report on the state of conservation of the
property, with a view to considering, in the case of confirma-
tion of the ascertained or potential danger to OUV, the pos-
sible inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage
in Danger.


Year /
code
ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to the World Heritage property

“Historic Centre of Vienna” (Austria) (C1033). 16 -19 November 2015
ICOMOS considerations on the Thematic Concept for High-Rise Build-
ings 2014: includes methods for structural interventions in the historic
city centre / Document does not contain criteria to assess the outstanding
added value, the STEP 2025 High-Rise Concept and the 2014 Glacis Mas-
ter Plan do not provide a sufficiently clear comprehensible framework
for standards and guidelines, in particular with regard to the potential
height of new building projects.
40 session of the
th
Vienna Memorandum 2005 and UNESCO Recommendation on the
Committee (40 COM) / Historic Urban Landscape 2011;
• ICOMOS conclusions and recommendations considering the lack
Istanbul, Turkey of morphological relationship between the new high buildings
and high-rise buildings allowed, and the historical stock;
• is concerned that the lack of exclusion zones for high-rise build-
ings and suitable tools to control height and volume and urban
density creates inappropriate expectations of owners and devel-
opers with regard to the development potential, an attitude that
may in turn create pressure with regard to the approval of inap-
propriate building projects
• change of the roof landscape / severe loss of its morpholog-
ical integrity and substantial loss of its cultural significance


Year /
code
ICOMOS considerations on the Glacis Master Plan: Could include

the construction of some high buildings and high-rise buildings
that would impair the morphology and character of the Glacis area
and consequently Vienna’s Outstanding Universal Value.
• VIENNA MEMORANDUM 2005 on the subject of “World Her-
itage and Contemporary Architecture - Management of the
Historic Urban Landscape”
40th session of the
• ICOMOS recommends to integrate the historical building
stock into a living urban organism not only with respect to
visual relationships and visual axes defining the urban space,
Istanbul, Turkey
but also mandatory rules with regard to the density and
height of the buildings.
• The “InterContinental Hotel (29.300 m²) / Vienna Ice-Skat-
ing Club (5.500 m²) project”: The 3D visualisation models
show how the volumes of the winning project would severely
impair the cityscape / The Mission states that the view is al-
ready severely impaired.


Year /
code
1. Proposed Vienna Ice-Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna Konzerthaus project

2. Developments in the Karlsplatz area
2017
3. The setting of the Karlskirche
Questions
4. Lack of effectiveness of the overall governance of the property
5. Lack of appropriateness of planning controls in the ‘High-Rise Concept 2014’ and the ‘Glacis Master Plan’
• Regrets that the State Party has not complied with the requests • The design of the Vienna Ice-Skating
expressed by the Committee in Decision 40 COM 7B.49, in partic- Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vien-
ular related to the lack of change to existing planning controls na Konzerthaus has been revised; the
and the inadequate extent of change proposed for the Vienna height of the residential component has
Ice-Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna Konzerthaus been reduced from 75m to 66.3m and
project; the area occupied by the high-rise com-
• Also recalling the concerns expressed by the 2012 mission re- ponent has also been limited. [SOC 2017]
garding the critical level of urban development reached since • Indicated that the planning process has
41st session of the
inscription and its cumulative impacts on the Outstanding considered the visual and spatial qual-
Universal Value (OUV) of the property, the need for new tools ities of the “Karlskirche” and advises
to guide the development process towards sustainable devel- that the reshaped buildings will not
Krakow, Poland
opment that protects the attributes of the OUV, and the specific negatively impact on the appearance of
recommendations of the 2015 mission to the property, the historic ensemble, as the maximum
• Noting the information provided by the State Party including height will not exceed the deck-edge of
design changes and a Heritage Impact Assessment for the pro- the “Karlskirche” and there are no pro-
posed Vienna Ice-Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna trusions proposed. [SOC 2017]
Konzerthaus project, the resolution of the City Council of Vienna • Passed a resolution clarifying the plan-
dated 5th May 2017, the intention to analyze and review existing ning instruments for urban develop-
urban planning instruments, and the advice regarding proposed ment.


Year /
code

2017
Questions
projects in the the Karlsplatz-area.

• Welcomes the study on historic roof constructions in the Historic
Centre of Vienna by the Federal Monuments Authority in collab-
oration with the City of Vienna, and requests the State Party to
adopt a moratorium on projects that involve any modification May 2017: ICOMOS Austria, Appeal for land
of the roofscapes within the property, until the study has been zoning Heumarkt:
completed. • Infringement of social fairness (keyword:
• Considers that the current planning controls pose serious and luxury apartments)
41st session of the
specific threats to the OUV of the property, such that the prop- • Failed interpretation of the alleged “add-
erty is in danger. ed value” of the project for Vienna [C12
• Requests the State Party, in consultation with the World Heritage Rolle ICOMOS Österreich, IN Anlagen zur
Krakow, Poland
Centre and the Advisory Bodies, to develop a set of corrective Projektdarstellung für HIA Welterbe-Pro-
measures, a timeframe for their implementation, and a Desired jekt Heumarkt Wien]
state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of • 01.06.2017: Vienna City Council decides
World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR). the new Development Plan for the area.
• Reiterating its concern that the High-Rise Concept abolishes ex-
clusion zones for high-rise buildings in the Vienna urban areas, ,
without having applied appropriate instruments of control for
height, volume and urban density respecting the OUV of the


Year /
code

2017
Questions
property, and that the Glacis Master Plan permits the construction
of buildings of a scale that would have an adverse impact on the
urban form and character of the Glacis area.
• Reiterates its request to the State Party to facilitate the prepara-
tion of revised planning rules and guidelines, which:
1. Establish parameters for the urban density as well as specific
standards for building height and volume for the property and
41st session of the buffer zone,
Committee (41 COM) / 2. Safeguard the urban morphology that is an essential attri-
bute of the property,
Krakow, Poland 3. Encourage sustainable development in the property and its
buffer zone in harmony with its OUV,
4. Require that all high-rise projects are evaluated through a
comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), prepared
in accordance with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural
World Heritage properties, including reference to 3D visual sim-
ulations, so that the effects of the proposed development on the
OUV of the property can be properly considered;


Year / Reactions of the City of Vi-
[Emphasis added by the authors to identify aspects Comment
Meeting / enna
which are relevant to the assessment.]
Decision [Sources added by the au-
Comments by the authors make the document easier
code thors]
to understand and are highlighted in blue

2017
Questions
5. Incorporate the intent of the resolution of the City Council of Vienna,

dated 5 May 2017 within the revised planning rules and guidelines;
• The minimal reduction of height by 8.7m (from 75m to 66.3m) and
amended footprint of the residential component are negligible com-
pared to the total project height, number of storeys and building vol-
ume.
• This project is not prevented by the resolution of the City Council of
Vienna dated 5 May and could proceed if the Council were to create the
41st session of the
necessary legal basis.
• The HIA does not acknowledge the substantial adverse effects that the
revised project would have on the OUV of the property.
Krakow, Poland
• The Karlskirche is a major Baroque period work within the property.
In its vicinity, there are two buildings for which large extensions are
planned. Graphic and photographic documents submitted to date do
not adequately evaluate these proposed projects and their potential
impact on the Karlskirche and the surrounding urban context.
• The OUV of the property remains in danger from lawfully designed and
constructed buildings that are permitted by the existing planning con-
trols; particularly the ‘High-Rise Concept’ and ‘Glacis Masterplan’.


Year /
code
1. High-rise construction projects in Central Vienna; proposed Vienna Ice-Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna Kon-
2018 zerthaus project
Questions 2. Lack of effectiveness of the overall governance of the property
3. Lack of appropriateness of planning controls in the ‘High-Rise Concept 2014’ and the ‘Glacis Master Plan
• The situation of the current urban pattern in

the area “Intercontinental Hotel – Ice Skating
Club – Vienna Concert Hall” remained un-
changed. That construction work will begin
• This three-stage process must lead to an agreed set of cor- in spring 2020. [Dr. M. Rössler, 2018. UNES-
rective measures and an agreed DSOCR, which can be ad- CO-World Heritage property: Historic Centre
Report on the current opted by the World Heritage Committee. of Vienna (Austria) (C1033), SOC Report 2018]
situation concerning • City Council of Vienna confirms its commitment not to give • The urban development situation in the Karl-
the state of conser- legal approval for any further high-rise development splatz site has likewise remained the same.
vation of the Historic • Current projects and the broader historic urban context, • The planned projects for the Wien Museum
Centre of Vienna. including visual axes and visual links, and both close and and the Winterthur Building have not yet
distant views, are to be addressed through the three-stage been created;
31st January process. • To develop a specific milestone plan based
• Welcome to establish a clear milestone plan for addressing on the “roadmap” submitted by the World
the Committee’s decisions Heritage Centre on 23rd of November 2017
which will define the measures required to
delete the World Heritage property “Histor-
ic Centre of Vienna” from the List of World
Heritage in Danger.


Year /
code
1. High-rise construction projects in Central Vienna; proposed Vienna Ice-Skating Club – Intercontinental Hotel – Vienna Kon-
2018 zerthaus project
Questions 2. Lack of effectiveness of the overall governance of the property
3. Lack of appropriateness of planning controls in the ‘High-Rise Concept 2014’ and the ‘Glacis Master Plan
• Three stage process:

1. an expert workshop in March 2018,
2. The preparation of HIA,
Report on the current 3. Examine HIA
situation concerning • The study on historic roof constructions
the state of conser- (“Roof-Cadaster”) was completed in late
vation of the Historic summer 2017 and presented to the public
Centre of Vienna. on 15th of September 2017.
• The projected extensions of the “Wien
31st January Museum” and the so called “Winterthur
Building” shall also be analysed by the
previously mentioned Heritage Impact
Assessment.

14. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE HERITAGE

IMPACT ASSESSMENT
14.1 THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION 14.2 OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE (OUV)
UNESCO-World Heritage properties are protected under the World Heritage The inscription of World Heritage properties on the World Heritage List
Convention ("Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural depends on their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The concept of the
and Natural Heritage")64. The World Heritage Convention that took effect in Outstanding Universal Value in the World Heritage Convention and its im-
1972 is an international agreement between the states parties and the Unit- plementation stands for all UNESCO World Heritage properties in all regions
ed Nations. The objective of the World Heritage Convention is to identify, of the planet. After inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Out-
protect and use the most important natural and cultural heritage of man- standing Universal Value is set in stone and must not be impaired.66 The Out-
kind for intercultural mediation. World Heritage properties are inscribed on standing Universal Value is therefore the central point of reference for all
the World Heritage List to protect them for future generations activities within the UNESCO World Heritage property.
Pursuant to the World Heritage Convention, the State Parties are responsi-
ble for the protection and sustainable development of the World Heritage 14.3 SELECTION CRITERIA
properties. According to Article 4 of the World Heritage Convention, “each
State Party recognizes that the duty of ensuring the identification, protec- Cultural and natural sites whose Outstanding Universal Value is acknowl-
tion conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of edged by the World Heritage Committee and its advisory organisations ICO-
the cultural and natural heritage referred to in Articles 1 and 2 and situated MOS International, IUCN and ICCROM are inscribed on the World Heritage
on its territory, belongs primarily to that State”. List using specific criteria. These criteria are defined in the internationally
applicable guidelines for World Heritage properties, the Operational Guide-
The protection and sustainable development of the UNESCO World Heritage lines. Six different criteria (criteria (i) – (iv)) exist for World Cultural Heritage
property Historic Centre of Vienna must therefore be ensured by the Austrian Sites like the Historic Centre of Vienna. After a State Party to the World Heri-
State Party that joined the World Heritage Convention in 1992. For this pur- tage Convention has nominated a site for inscription on the World Heritage
pose, the internationally applicable guidelines must be observed, in particular List, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decides whether:
the various charters on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention
and the so-called Operational Guidelines serving to implement the World Her- • at least one of these criteria applies, so that the Outstanding Universal
itage Convention.65 The Outstanding Universal Value is therefore the central
point of reference for all activities within the UNESCO World Heritage property. 66 The Operational Guidelines define the OUV as follows: “Outstanding Universal Value means
cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries
and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity. As such,
64 UNESCO (1972): Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural Heritage the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest importance to the international
65 UNESCO World Heritage Centre: The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the community as a whole. The Committee defines the criteria for the inscription of properties on
World Heritage Convention, Paris 2017. The Operational Guidelines are updated in regular the World Heritage List.” See: UNESCO World Heritage Centre: The Operational Guidelines for
intervals. This Assessment is based on the Operational Guidelines 2017 the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, Paris 2017

Value of a site and therefore its inscription on the UNESCO World Heri- Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna are the starting point of this
tage List is justified (Operational Guidelines, paragraph 77), Heritage Impact Assessment, because these criteria must be maintained
• any potential World Heritage property also meets the criteria of Integrity by all means and must not be impaired.
and Authenticity,
• any potential World Heritage property has an adequate system for its
protection and management (Operational Guidelines, paragraph 78). 14.4 HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
These above-mentioned conditional criteria are summarised in compact Heritage Impact Assessments have been required by the UNESCO World
form for all World Heritage properties in a Statement of Outstanding Universal Heritage Committee and its advisory organisation IUCN (Natural World
Value (SoOUV). For any World Heritage properties that were inscribed on Heritage Sites) and ICOMOS (World Cultural Heritage Sites) for some years
the World Heritage List without a SoOUV (which has been the case for Vi- in order to evaluate and assess transformations in the World Heritage
Fig. 14.1: Outstanding enna), a so-called Retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value properties and consequences for the Outstanding Universal Value. A ma-
Universal Value of
UNESCO-World Heritage (RSoOUV) is prepared. The RSoOUV must always be considered in compli- jor reason for such requirement of Heritage Impact Assessments is that
properties: Selection ance with the information provided in the nomination file, and cannot be they explicitly take account of the particularities of the system of values of
criteria, authenticity and
applied in isolation. World Heritage properties, in particular the Outstanding Universal Value,
integrity, Management
(© UNESCO) and the Selection Criteria, respectively.
Therefore the selection criteria determined in the RSoOUV for the World
In contrast to Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Environmen-
tal Impact Assessments (EIA), Heritage Impact Assessments have currently
not been planned under EU law. The realisation of Heritage Impact As-
sessments and the implementation of the resulting recommendations is
therefore done on a voluntary basis and usually falls under the responsi-
bility of the individual State Parties.
ICOMOS International established applicable guidelines for the perfor-

mance of Heritage Impact Assessments in World Cultural Heritage Sites,
the so-called ICOMOS Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultur-
al World Heritage Properties 2011.67
67 http://openarchive.icomos.org/266/1/ICOMOS_Heritage_Impact_Assessment_2010.pdf

15. SOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION ON THE ASSESSMENT
15.1 LITERATURE
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2014.
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• Bazil, C. (2017). Bericht über den Erhaltungszustand Historisches Zentrum von Wien (Österreich) (C 1033).
• Belvedere, Wien, die Künstler_innen und die Autor_innen. (2018), Im Blick der Canalet-toblick. Österreich
• Bernard, E. und Trattner, B. (2014). Das Tor zur Welt. InterContinental Wien; Since 1964. Vienna. Amalthea.
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• Brinek, G. (2017). Volksanwaltschaft, An den Gemeinderat der Stadt Wien. VA-W-BT/0050-B/1/2017, 11th Dec. 2017.
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• City Administration of the City of Vienna MA21 - District Planning and Urban Land Use. (2014). Step 2025 Thematic Concept for High-Rise Buildings. Vienna.
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(2013). Städtebauliche Entwicklung Hotel InterContinental Wien Wiener Eislaufverein. Dokumentation und Ergebnis des Kooperativen ExperInnenver-
fahrens.
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• City Administration of the City of Vienna. (2017). Zoning and Development plan. Plan no 7984.
• City Administration of the City of Vienna. (2017). Zoning plan and construction sites map (24.04.2017)
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Master Plan.
• City of Vienna / Wien voraus (Stadtteilplanung Flächennutzung). (2016). Fotomontage Projekt WEV/Hotel InterContinental Stand November 2016.
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von Hochhausprojekten.
• City of Vienna . Heumarkt HIA Übersicht Mehrwerte_Kloos Version 6th Juy 2018
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des Bebauungsplanes verbundenen Umweltauswirkungen für das 2,7 ha große Gebiet zwischen Johannesgasse, Am Heumarkt, Lisztstraße und Lo-
thringerstraße im 3. Wiener Gemeindebezirk.
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the UNESCO World Heritage “Historic City Centre of Vienna”. 18 April 2016
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• Herrmann, E. und Olechowski, M. (2013). C.4_Städtebauliche Leitlinien Hotel InterContinental – Wiener Eislaufverein, Vorlage Stadtentwicklungskom-
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• ICOMOS. (2015). Reactive Monitoring Mission to the World Heritage property “Historic Centre of Vienna” (Austria) (C1033).
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splanes und des Bebauungsplanes. 1. Juni 2017, Pr. Zl. 1508/2017-GSK.
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• MA 21. (2016). Umweltbericht zum Plan 7984, Beilage I.
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Untersuchung der Auswirkungen des Projekts “Eislaufverein - Hotel InterCont - Konzerthaus” am Areal des Wiener Heumarkts auf den Außergewöhnli-
chen Universellen Wert der UNESCO Weltkulturerbestätte „Historisches Zentrum Wien“, 7. April 2017.
• MD BD 1803/2002 UNESCO-Weltkulturerbe. Project Vienna main station.
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GmbH & Co. KG, Wien Köln Weimar.
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• A.1_Auszug d. Auslobung des Wettbewerbs zum Projekt Heumarkt.

• A.3.a_ Die Institution Wiener Eislauf-Verein (WEV).
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• C.6.e_ Jurybegründung Projekt Weinfeld.
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• C.6.e_Vorprüfbericht zum Siegerprojekt.
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15.2 LINKS
• http://openarchive.icomos.org/266/1/ICOMOS_Heritage_Impact_Assessment_2010.pdf
• https://konzerthaus.at
15.3 ABBREVIATIONS
HIA: Heritage Impact Assessment

ICOMOS: International Council on Monuments and Sites, Paris
OUV: Outstanding Universal Value
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
WHC: UNESCO-World Heritage Centre, Paris

15.4 GLOSSAR
DEUTSCH ENGLISCH
Außergewöhnlicher Universeller Wert Outstanding Universal Value (OUV)

Authentizität Authenticity
Beirat Advisory Body
Die Globale Strategie Global Strategy
Immaterielles Kulturerbe Intangible Heritage
Integrität Integrity
Liste des gefährdeten Erbes der Welt List of World Heritage in Danger
Materielles Kulturerbe Tangible Heritage
Nominierungsdossier Nomination File
Pufferzone Buffer Zone
Richtlinien für die Durchführung des Übereinkommens zum The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World
Schutz des Kultur- und Naturerbes der Welt Heritage Convention
Tentativliste Tentative List
UNESCO Welterbe UNESCO World Heritage
UNESCO-Welterbekomitee UNESCO World Heritage Committee
UNESCO Welterbekonvention UNESCO World Heritage Convention
UNESCO Welterbeliste UNESCO World Heritage List
UNESCO-Welterbestätte Historisches Zentrum von Wien UNESCO World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna
Vertragsstaat State Party
Welterbegebiet World Heritage area
Welterbekriterien Selection Criteria
Welterbestätten World Heritage properties
Welterbeverträglichkeitsprüfung Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA)
Welterbezentrum World Heritage Center

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Heritage Impact Assessment

21st February 2019

CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT, LAYOUT AND PHOTOGRAPHY

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

1 Task and Objective of the Heritage Impact Assessment18

3 Inscription criteria of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna32

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

5 Developments of the World Heritage property since 200150

6 Description of the planned Heumarkt Neu project56

7 Analysis of key characteristics of Vienna’s urban development and skyline84

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

8.5 Conclusion: Fundamental features of the Ringstraße ensemble98

PART III ASSESSMENT

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

14 Background information on the Heritage Impact Assessment242

15 Sources and other information on the assessment244

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

1. TASK AND OBJECTIVE OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT

2. METHODS OF HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

1. TASK AND OBJECTIVE OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

c) The Heritage Impact Assessment process is to be carried out with public

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

According to the nomination file, the World Heritage property Historic

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

Fig. 2.1 a,b: Creation of

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

The objective of this evaluation is also to define as accurately as possi-

SCALE AND SEVERITY OF CHANGE / IMPACTS

VALUE OF HERITAGE ASSET

SIGNIFICANCE OF EFFECT OR OVERALL IMPACT (EITHER ADVERSE OR BENEFICIAL)

For WH properties Very High – attributes which

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

Table 2.2: Taken from:

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

Fig. 2.2: Heritage Impact

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

12. Recommendations for future corridors of action

3. RSoOUV: Inscription criteria of the World Heritage property

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

2.9 CONCLUSION: DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF THE HERITAGE IMPACT

The following working process was passed through in the development of

Fig. 2.3: Development

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

3. INSCRIPTION CRITERIA OF THE WORLD HERITAGE

7. ANALYSIS OF KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF VIENNA’S URBAN

9. ATTRIBUTES OF THE WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTY HIS-

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

michael kloos planning and heritage consultancy

1 Task and Objective of the Heritage Impact Assessment18

3 Inscription criteria of the World Heritage property Historic Centre of Vienna32

5 Developments of the World Heritage property since 200150

6 Description of the planned Heumarkt Neu project56

7 Analysis of key characteristics of Vienna’s urban development and skyline84

8.5 Conclusion: Fundamental features of the Ringstraße ensemble98

PART III ASSESSMENT

14 Background information on the Heritage Impact Assessment242

15 Sources and other information on the assessment244