Two Innsbruck projects win Austria’s builders’ prize

Two projects in Innsbruck have won the Builders’ Prize: the climate-adapted redesign of DDr.-Alois-Lugger-Platz and the extension of the Bäckerei Kulturbackstube cultural centre. ORF reported that the awards were presented by the Central Association of Austrian Architects.

The square in Innsbruck’s Olympisches Dorf district was once a 4,000-square-metre fully paved space that trapped heat and was heavily exposed to the foehn. The city added trees and shrubs and introduced rainwater management designed to reduce heat and cope with heavy rain. The system follows the “sponge city” principle, retaining water on site rather than draining it away immediately.

A basement car park beneath the square had long made substantial planting seem technically impossible. The city went ahead with the redesign and involved nearby residents. The award jury described the project as a model that municipalities across Europe could learn from.

The Bäckerei Kulturbackstube, in Innsbruck’s Dreiheiligen district, has operated since 2010 in a former business and residential building belonging to the Therese Mölk family. What was initially planned as a temporary use for three to five years has become an established cultural venue. The building has now been extended by two timber-built floors.

The new floors provide flexible spaces, while rental income is intended to give the cultural initiative a more secure financial footing and reduce its reliance on grants and subsidies. The jury recognised the project for its trust in the existing building, its users and an open design process.

The two Innsbruck projects were among six winners chosen from 132 entries across Austria. The prize, awarded since 1967, also went to projects in Styria, Vorarlberg and Vienna. This year’s focus was sustainability, including renovating and adapting buildings rather than demolishing them.