History

At the end of the 19th century the gas supply for the city of Vienna was controlled by private corporations and the prices were kept pretty high for the consumers, the majority of them being families with modest incomes.

All that changed when the Gaswerks Simmering, or Simmering Gas Works, were built.Located in the 11th district on Guglgasse, the first municipal gas storage tanks, with their impressive 55 meter-high brick walls, had the capacity to provide gas to a large part of the population. The inside walls of these four huge containers were made of iron in order to store the inflammable gas produced from hard coal.

The level of gas in the tanks would vary depending on the demand and it was sent to Viennese homes through a pipeline system that was spreading around town for hundreds of kilometers. Although by definition a gasometer is the circular gauge outside of the tank, the word was commonly used to call the containers themselves and still is today. Even if the Simmering Works could provide over 100 million cubic meters of gas annually, the gasometers ended up not being able to supply completely the ever-growing population of Vienna.

At the end of the 19th century the gas supply for the city of Vienna was controlled by private corporations and the prices were kept pretty high for the consumers, the majority of them being families with modest incomes.

All that changed when the Gaswerks Simmering, or Simmering Gas Works, were built. After being upgraded several times to keep up with modern technologies, the gas production stopped in 1969, after the city began its conversion from coal gas to natural gas. But the tanks were still used for gas storage until 1984 when they finally closed due to new technologies in gasometer construction.

Renovation

In 2001, four internationally renowned architects were each given a tank (Gasometer A, B, C, D) with the task of reinventing them.

Jean Nouvel made an indoor plaza with Gasometer A, with huge windows to catch the light coming in from the transparent dome. Coop Himmelb(l)au produced a 22-storey building with a bending-shape attached to Gasometer B, creating a remarkable contrast with the circular shape of the container. Manfred Wehdorn made an eco-friendly apartment building with indoor gardens in Gasometer C. And Whilelm Holzbauer ended up constructing an apartment building as well in Gasometer D, after he saw his project for a hotel rejected by the city.

Gasometer City has its own U-Bahn station, outside which there is a huge gas valve. It also contains a large shopping mall, 615 apartments with 1500 residents, offices, a media center, as well as the Wiener Stadt und Landesarchiv, the Vienna City and County Archives.

The complex consists of four historical tanks which originally supplied Vienna with their gas supply, located in an industrial area. The Gasometers were closed and the interior elements removed, leaving a classical brick facade. The four buildings were each refurbished by a different architect integrating different program's of use including living, cultural and entertainment venues. It houses a concert hall, a student hostel, the archives of the City of Vienna , health facilities, a cinema, a shopping mall and residential apartments. Approximately 1200 people live in the Gasometer buildings.

The location of the project presents a special opportunity to develop the urban fabric of Vienna by means of various alterations of the transportation system, such as the extension of the U3 subway and the construction of the North-East Highway.

Gasometer B

Gasometer B was redesigned by Coop Himmelb(l)au integrating three new volumes to the existing facade with a 'shield' structure. A multi-functional event hall was also situated in the base.

The interior includes a cylinder structure which together with the shield house apartments and offices. The lighting for these inside spaces is provided by the conical innercourt, and that for the outside through the historical Gasometer wall. The lighting for the shield is provided through a spacious north-oriented glass facade.

There are 330 apartments comprising a range from 3 bedroom to loft-style and smaller student accommodation.

The entire complex can be accessed from a subway station through a connecting shopping mall which gives access to all the Gasometer tanks from the ground level.

The foyer of the event hall is connected with the subway both by means of the "Night-Mall" of the Gasometer A, and directly through an entrance at Guglgasse. The "Night-Mall" also hosts common spaces, thus becoming a transit area for people arriving or leaving the event hall.