Hypo Zacherlhaus, Vienna (AT)

The branch of the Hypo Vorarlberg inside the Zacherlhaus, one of the most significant Viennese buildings of early modernism, comprises the technical floor in the basement, the bank premises on the ground floor encompassing two building axes, a part of the mezzanine and the entire first, fourth and fifth floor. The conversion necessary for a modern banking operation was the biggest alteration in the history of the building, constructed in the years 1903-1905 according to the plans of Josef Plečnik, one of Otto Wagner’s students.
The centrepiece, of course, is the customer hall on the ground floor. Its design responds to the found qualities of the Plecnik building with timeless elegance, high-quality materiality and subtle structural response. For example, the square coffered panelling of the main staircase served as inspiration for our wooden panelling in the counter hall.
At the only point at which the rented basement and first floor areas overlap, a new internal staircase was added on a square floor plan. This was done in order to enable a fast and easy circulation between the customer hall, the consultation rooms in the mezzanine and the first floor, and the vault facilities in the basement. To do the historic building justice, as well as in the interest of later subsequent uses, the staircase is fully removable.

Client: Vorarlberger Landes- und Hypothekenbank
Location: A-1010 Vienna, Wildpretmarkt 2-4, Brandstätte 6
Architecture: Dietrich | Untertrifaller
Project management: Dominik Philipp, Catharina Maul
Construction: 2015
Area: 1 770 m²
Specificity: listed building

Partner
structural engineering: KS Ingenieure, Vienna / HAVCR: Klimaplan, Bregenz / electronics: Freunschlag, Linz / building physics: IBO, Vienna / fire protection: Hoyer, Vienna /// photos: Kurt Hoerbst, Bruno Klomfar