Police station at Praterstern
HARD FACTS
Material
Expanded metal type “Portoroz” + “Salzburg”, aluminium 2mm
Use
Façade
Location
Police station Praterstern
1020 Vienna, Praterstern
Year
2020
Architect
ZKPT ZT GmbH, Vienna; developer ÖBB
Metal manufacturer
Schinnerl Stahlbau, 3430 Tulln
Special features
MEANINGFUL ARCHITECTURE AT PRATERSTERN
The new police station at Praterstern which was financed by OeBB with a budget of approx. eight million Euro has served as the workplace of about 65 officers since 2021.
The architectural concept was provided by ZKPT ZT GmbH who made a clear statement with this design. Corrugated anthracite-coloured façade cladding, designed to look like gratings hanging in front of the building, gives the object a modern and aesthetic look and, at the same time, acts as a symbol of what you expect from the police: strength and protection. For those who serve society on a daily basis, on the one hand, and for more than 150,000 people who pass through Vienna’s busiest public transit hub every day. The important strategic location at Praterstern, which is one of Vienna’s busiest spots by day and night, made it necessary to protect the building against projectiles and the like. This was guaranteed by means of the aluminium expanded metal panels type “Portoroz” and “Salzburg” supplied by ProMetall. The “anthracite monolith“, as the project was named by the press thus plays an important role in the architecture of the 2nd district.
EXPANDED METALS – practical and elegant
Expanded metals and expanded grates are made of a single piece of metal to ensure there are no strands causing wear and tear and no weighed-down connections or welding seams. As a result, the sustainable, robust material exhibits significant strength and surface stability which makes it ideal for use in façade design. Various materials can be used, the mesh is generally diagonal, hexagonal, round or square, neither twisted nor welded. Depending on the type, various effects are possible. The material retains its inner stability even when it is cut. Due to their 3-dimensional character, façades made of expanded metal turn into “eye catchers”.