In Floridsdorf, one of the largest, most populous and youngest districts of this city, a long-held wish is now coming true, that is to create more places for children to experience and meet culturally: in the Schloßhofer Straße, in the immediate vicinity of Floridsdorf train station, the City of Vienna is establishing a new location for children’s culture, which is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2027. The building will also house a second location for the ZOOM Children’s Museum and a Centre for children’s literature.
With sustainability in mind, the City of Vienna has, after several years of searching, found a suitable property in which it can expand and develop cultural services for children and families. An existing building at Schloßhofer Straße 16–18, used as an AMS JobCentre until the end of 2023, has the spatial potential to become a place of empowerment, openness and welcome, once extensive renovation and adaptation has been carried out.
After the general renovation and adaptation, the building, which was erected between 1997–1999, will have about 3,500 m² of floor space on five levels. In addition to the program areas of the two institutions, there is a common foyer and shared areas for fruitful cooperation. In terms of infrastructure, the building is excellently located between Floridsdorf train station, Schloßhofer Straße and Rechter Nordbahngasse.
During the renovation, conversion and expansion carried out by the property’s owner ARWAG Objektvermietungsgesellschaft m.b.H., the focus will be on sustainability, in line with the “Smart Climate City Strategy” of the City of Vienna. Reuse of existing buildings and good public transport connections are key elements of sustainable architecture and urban development. Through renovation and conversion, the ‘gray energy’ stored in the building, i.e. the amount of energy that was once used to construct the building, is largely being preserved. The thermal renovation considerably extends the life cycle of the building. In addition, a modern energy concept involving a photovoltaic system, district heating connections and modernised building techniques will contribute to the sustainability of the building.