Linz plans another high-rise tower in Neue Heimat

Linz is planning another high-rise tower in the Neue Heimat district, ORF reports. The project, called Im Haidgattern, would be built on a plot currently occupied by a vacant building and has drawn criticism from local residents and an architect.

Residents have raised concerns about increased traffic, additional shadowing and what they see as an unsuitable change to the existing townscape. One resident said the proposed building would resemble a bunker and would not fit the surroundings. Others noted that the existing building, constructed in 1945, blends more closely into the neighbourhood.

City cites high-rise policy

It is not yet clear when construction will begin. Linz planning director Hans-Martin Neumann said the city had seen a clear trend towards high-rise projects for about a decade. The city had deliberately supported such developments because Linz considered itself a modern industrial city, he said.

New high-rises in Linz must meet several requirements. Architects must submit a concept covering 10 criteria to the city’s design advisory board. According to Neumann, these include social benefits, public open spaces, usable roof floors and architectural quality.

Architect questions wider benefits

Linz architect Michael Zinner said it was disputed what qualified as high-quality architecture or a social benefit. He criticised the current high-rise trend as a development in the wrong direction.

High-rises mainly benefited the people who built or developed them, Zinner said. Such projects were economically attractive to investors but did little to ease the situation for people in urgent need of housing.

Instead, Zinner said existing buildings and spaces should be used more intensively. He cited the Rose evangelical private school at Linz’s Tabakfabrik as an example. The school permanently uses only a few rooms and works with partner institutions for some subjects.

This has created several learning locations within one district, Zinner said, adding that the model could also work on a larger scale.

The debate over new high-rises is likely to continue in Linz. While the city is pursuing urban densification and modern architecture, critics are calling for greater attention to existing buildings and how they are used.