Austro Tower, Vienna, Austria

Vienna has a new skyscraper – and what a fine sight! The Austro Tower is the tallest building on the banks of the Danube Canal in the third municipal district of Vienna – and the fifth-tallest building in Austria. Spanning 38 storeys, it offers some 28,000 m2 of office space, not to mention a conference centre, an employee restaurant and a cafe. The Austro Tower is subject to the most stringent sustainability criteria. In keeping with the strong environmental commitment, the concrete core ceilings of the individual storeys are thermally activated – with the Uponor Contec system.

Anyone working in or visiting the new structure will, on the one hand, benefit from the superb location – with outstanding transport links to the city centre and airport – and, on the other, the breathtaking view: from above, the new district by the Danube Canal, between the TownTown business district and the new skyscraper complex TrIIIple, can be easily surveyed. Thirdly, the building boasts everything necessary to keep users happy and comfortable, while keeping the impact on the environment and climate to a minimum. The building has been designed to achieve platinum standard, both in the international LEED system and Austrian ÖGNI certification.
 
‘River power’ and concrete core activation
 
An innovative energy system plays a key role in this regard. Just like the neighbouring TrIIIple complex, the Austro Tower is heated and cooled using water from the Danube Canal, thereby maximising the location’s potential. The water is channelled to an energy centre in one of the TrIIIple towers, where it is – depending on the season – either heated or cooled using high-temperature heat pumps. The energy is transported into the individual high-rise buildings by means of a district heating/cooling network. Five deep wells act as a backup for the ‘river power’; in an emergency, an electric boiler can be activated. In keeping with the strong environmental commitment, the concrete core ceilings of the individual storeys are thermally activated. Uponor Contec concrete core activation is used.
 
Uponor Contec for the office storeys
 
In order to thermally activate the 30 cm-thick concrete ceilings, the installers fitted Uponor Contec modules on the ceilings’ lowest reinforcement layer. The Uponor Contec system not only utilises the surfaces of the ceilings for heat transfer, but also the storage capability of the concrete. For example, the ceilings can be cooled overnight before once again absorbing heat from the building during the day. Some 600 m2 of Uponor Contec have been laid on each office storey, which equates to more than 22,000 m2 overall.
 
Tacker system for the ground floor and restaurant
 
In addition to the thermally active building system (TABS), other Uponor products are in use in the skyscraper: the Uponor Tacker underfloor heating system has been installed on the ground floor, the first floor (restaurant area) and the 35th floor. It is also used for cooling on the ground floor. The wet-installation system can be laid exceptionally quickly, as the insulation layer and cover are already incorporated within the Tacker panels. The system is universally compatible with all screed types and the pipes can be easily installed using an ergonomic tacker device.
 
Support with installation planning
 
In addition to supplying products, Uponor also advised and supported the installation team, e.g. when it came to installation planning and instructing the installers. The main tenants will be able to move in following completion: the Austro Tower will be the new headquarters of the companies SORAVIA, AUSTRO CONTROL and ASFINAG.