Film archive builds Austria’s largest depot in Laxenburg

Filmarchiv Austria is building a 2.7 million euro depot in Laxenburg, in Mödling district, to store about 550,000 film reels. The project, reported by ORF, is intended to prevent valuable historical footage from deteriorating.

The archive’s existing storage facilities have been overcrowded for years, with more than 10,000 films added each year. Reels are now kept in corridors, stairwells and temporary outdoor depots, where the required storage conditions cannot always be maintained. Construction began on Friday, and completion is scheduled for the end of 2027.

The new building will provide about 1,700 square metres of usable space across two floors. Reels will be stored at a constant temperature of four to five degrees Celsius and about 45 per cent humidity. Filmarchiv Austria says analog films can last for several hundred years under these conditions, while digital data must be transferred regularly to new technologies.

The archive currently holds about 550,000 films and more than two million photographs and film stills. Its collection spans the beginnings of cinema in the 19th century to the present and includes historical amateur footage and material from ORF.

The building will have a plant-covered facade, a highly insulated exterior and a photovoltaic system designed to generate enough electricity over the year to power cooling and air conditioning. The 2.7 million euro project is funded by the federal government, the state of Lower Austria, three collecting societies and an Austrian private foundation, which is contributing 1.4 million euros. Outdoor spaces and existing buildings will also be renovated.