DC 3 | Dietrich I Untertrifaller

The tower in Vienna’s Donauplatte area complements the towers DC 1 and DC 2 by Dominique Perrault and offers 832 apartments for temporary living. The 100-meter-high building is connected on several levels to the existing Donaucity quarter as well as to the transport network via public plazas and paths and forms the conclusion of the Carl Auböck Promenade, which has been incomplete since the mid-1990s. The projections of the three-dimensionally warped façade elements correspond to cozy alcoves, which frame the view of the Danube and the city in every room.

Urban Context

The narrow property – hardly more than a traffic island, surrounded by Wagramerstraße, motorway access and underground line – presented us with great planning challenges. But the attractive location on the Danube with a view to St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the prominent neighbourhood with UNO City, the Perrault-Towers DC 1 and DC 2 as well as Harry Seidler’s high-rise were worth taking the risk.

For a sensible access to the project, we extended the Donauplatte in the area of the Carl-Auböck-Promenade up to the Wagramerstrasse. To overcome the height difference of approx. six meters, the underground line has been covered with a bridge that leads to the plaza on the ground floor. With its seating steps, the bridge provides an attractive public square with a view of the Danube and the city.

Difficult Ground

Not only the cramped spatial situation, but also difficult ground conditions and a tight time schedule intensified the general conditions for the foundation of the DC Tower 3. Soil quality, building density and the resulting lack of space on the construction site required special mechanical solutions. Two large rotary drilling rigs were therefore used in parallel for piloting. “The combination of these two highly specialized construction machines enables absolutely vibration-free piloting in a specified time. This means that 535 pilots can be concreted in four months”, explains Andreas Hugelshofer from i+R Spezialtiefbau. The almost one meter thick pilots were drilled up to 35 meters deep into the ground with an SOB auger.

Innovative Design

The reinforced concrete skeleton with flat slabs is braced over the core in the longitudinal direction or over walls in the transverse direction. The window alcoves are prefabricated as modules and assembled on site. Aluminium slats structure the façade in the basement floors, from the ground floor onwards the tower is clad in aluminium sheets.

The plinth contains attractive event and fitness areas as well as spacious recreation and learning zones. A café with a large terrace enriches the public space, as do attractive consumer-free areas. A partially covered roof terrace sheltered from the wind and a green atrium with adjoining function rooms in the base zone promote social interaction among the residents.

The 832 apartments extend from the first to the 32nd floor and are equipped with a sanitary unit, a workplace and a small kitchenette. The triangular protrusions of the metal façade are transformed into wooden alcoves on the inside, which serve as heated seat windows inviting residents to relax and enjoy wide views over the city.

Three-dimensional façade made of prefabricated window alcoves

From the ground floor onwards the tower is clad in shimmering aluminium sheets. The protrusions of the metal façade are transformed into wooden alcoves on the inside. The window alcoves are prefabricated as modules and assembled on site.

Common rooms on the top floor with access to the roof terrace and a breathtaking view.