The former Nordwestbahnhof railway station, near Augarten park in Vienna’s 20th district, is set to become a major urban development, providing housing for around 16,000 people, Austrian Railways (ÖBB) has announced.
Initial discussions on converting the site into a residential area began in the early 2000s. According to the new plan, revealed at a press conference on Monday, most of the existing structures on the 44-hectare site will be demolished. Around 160,000 square metres of paved areas will be de-sealed, with the majority of the demolition materials transported by rail.
Nordwestbahnhof, built in the 1870s to connect Vienna with Dresden and Berlin, ended passenger services in 1924. After that, the terminal was used for sporting events, including the city’s first indoor ski hall, before being repurposed as a Nazi forced labour camp during the Second World War. The site was then adapted for freight traffic, but according to ÖBB, this function is no longer necessary.
The demolition process is expected to last around four years. The first new buildings, including a school campus and council housing, will be constructed thereafter. At the heart of the new district will be a 10-hectare park, the “Green Centre,” surrounded by residential buildings. Four high-rise towers are planned as landmarks, with 60% of the homes built through government subsidies.
“It’s finally starting after years of preparation,” Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler told the press, stressing the significance of reusing brownfield sites.
ÖBB CEO Silvia Angelo expressed pride in contributing to the city’s development, despite giving up the site. However, two brick buildings will remain as a nod to the area’s history.