contrast

An entire new chapter that is gaining increasing importance in the work of HVP is new buildings in old surroundings. Building in a context that has grown up historically or in close proximity to old building fabric is always a special task, it demands consideration, sensitivity and fantasy. The best new building in an old setting is certainly not the one that has been politely adapted or fitted in. In some cases there is need for a true confrontation between the old and contemporary architecture to make an ensemble truly attractive, to learn how to re-evaluate both – old and new – and to reveal the quality of each. HVP belong to those who seek contrast, but at the same time accept and treat the existing old fabric with respect. Standing in front of the old Brotfabrik in Vienna you see an old building in excellent condition. Inside, however, the former large bakery has given way to a modern office building that profits atmospherically from the original spaces. The former room height was used for office units of different sizes and heights, an exemplary transformation, a daily source of joy for its users. Perhaps the best building by this office in recent years is the adaptation and conversion of the former Schloss Heisdorf into an old person’s home. The modernisation of the old building is exemplary, the confrontation between the Baroque ensemble and the sharp-edged but lively new buildings of black concrete with rough protrusions, each of them producing a shadow line, is courageous. The powerful new ensemble is a step in terms of quality towards a new dimension of building. HVP are on an exciting, individual path. The direction could be described by using a phrase borrowed from Mies van der Rohe: “Architecture has nothing to do with the invention of form. Architecture is the real battleground of the spirit.”