Bildungscampus Berresgasse Wien
The enormous volume of the campus, with its kindergarten, primary school, and middle school, breaks down into smaller parts so effectively that almost 900 children feel right at home. The educational areas of the kindergarten and primary school are arranged across two levels around a seven-meter-high shared central space.
The surroundings are varied: to the southwest, ten‑story apartment buildings from the 1970s, in front of them three-story terraced houses from the 1980s, to the east a strip of allotment gardens, and to the west one of Vienna’s most recent large-scale urban expansions with around 3 000 apartments—the immediate catalyst for the new campus. The residential buildings here reach heights of up to 35 meters. This context defines the urban scale of the campus, giving the architects key aspects of their design: the interweaving of outdoor spaces with the surrounding neighborhood, inclusive access, and opportunities for users to socialize without disturbing one another.
Formed from several rotated blocks, the striking building of the educational campus suits this dense neighborhood. The enormous cubature generates a variety of intimate situations that promote belonging and identity. This is visible, for example, in the larch façade with two types of “jumping” windows: Some drop almost to floor level, so that one can look out even while lying down, and with deep sills that double as workspaces; others are positioned higher, leaving space beneath them for storage.
Four stories high, the campus stretches out to a length of almost 230 meters; just the multi-purpose sports hall beginning at the southwest intersection is already about 50 meters long. The ground-floor base houses the main entrance, assembly hall, library, cafeteria, special functions, administrative offices, and a nursery. Its floor plan is a large “L,” above which the polygonal upper stories are stacked. The overlay of these two geometries creates a variety of open spaces and an interplay of projections and recesses that gives the building its distinct character. The massing is stepped back towards the top, producing outdoor terraces on every level that total around 1 800 square meters, with raised beds and shaded seating. External staircases serve not only as emergency exits but also as additional spaces for movement. Swings dangle from the ceiling between reinforced concrete columns; there are areas for older children with boccia, parcours, and climbing walls, and child-friendly play areas for the little ones.
Inside, an inviting staircase with integrated seating steps leads to the levels above. The school model shows the four rotated volumes of the educational units, called BIBERs, from which two bundled pairs rotate outward in a pinwheel arrangement. The BIBERs for kindergarten and primary school are organized on two floors and arranged around a seven-meter-high polygonal shared center, the MUFU. Kindergarten groups occupy the lower level and the primary school the upper, with an exclusive gallery facing into the central space. This atrium enables visual and auditory connections, creating a sense of exchange; during lessons, the classes remain self-contained. The teachers appreciate the two-story arrangement, even if objects do occasionally fall through the protective safety netting along the gallery. The central MUFU contains a kitchenette and space for communal meals. Rooms can be separated with curtains, and acoustic panels and textile elements contribute to a calm atmosphere that also influences the children. It remains pleasantly quiet, with niches even under the staircases—important places of retreat, yet positioned to allow for supervision.
The middle school on the top floor is organized differently: Its four BIBERs are all on one level and connected by a continuous “learning street” running the entire length of the building. Views and natural light from several directions make orientation easier.
Nearly 900 children aged 0 to 14 spend full days here, from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, with extended care available from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm. They are looked after by around 100 teachers and 90 kindergarten and leisure educators across the kindergarten, elementary, and middle schools. The primary school offers an integrated all-day model, in which periods for leisure and open learning mix across year groups. Numerous shared activities, BIBER festivals, and atelier events foster social learning and strengthen the community.
[ Berresgasse Kindergarten, Primary School, and Middle School, Vienna ] Architecture: PSLA Architects ZT GmbH. Implementation planning: Porr Design & Engineering and Porreal GmbH. Client: Stadt Wien. Structural engineering: FCP Fritsch, Chiari & Partner ZT GmbH. Landscape architecture: EGKK Landschaftsarchitektur. Procurement procedure: Open, two-stage design competition with implementation (above EU threshold). Planning and construction period: 2017–2019. Usable floor area: 16 780 m². Address: Scheedgasse 2, 1220 Vienna.