Photographers: Gerald Liebminger and Lukas Schaller
The FAB project is the conversion of a disused shoe factory, including a rooftop extension, in the Hornbostelgasse in Vienna’s 6th district. Its urban context consists of a lively neighbourhood of small trade and various restaurants and nightlife. Adjacent to the historic perimeter block development of the 1890’s Gründerzeit.
The basic principle of the conversion was to keep to the initial organization of the building and to change as little as possible. The idea was to retain the identity and the character of the building. The historic section of the building now houses loft-apartments. The new apartments of the rooftop extension are also modelled on the atmosphere of the loft, as well as having spacious terraces.
The rooftop extension uses the maximum volume allowed, but its segmented and cubic structure still aligns with the simplicity of the existing factory building.
The appearance of the historic part of the building has been preserved. The whole façade was reconstructed but the new windows retain the original partitions. The fittings of the interior loft spaces are simple. The rooftop extension is a solid construction with metal cladding and room-high windows. Each of the apartments in the rooftop consist of a central infrastructure-block including bathroom, toilet and kitchen.