Future of the AUVA headquarters: luxury apartments or neglected ruin?

Future of the AUVA headquarters: luxury apartments or neglected ruin?

The old high-rise building of the General Accident Insurance Institute (AUVA) at Adalbert-Stifter-Straße 65 in Vienna's 20th district has been unused for over four years. The headquarters, which was closed in spring 2021 due to fire safety deficiencies to relocate around 540 employees, now faces uncertain future prospects. A zoning plan currently under discussion, which is available for public inspection until July 3rd, now opens up new possibilities for the use of the area. The plan allows extensive use of the area, with the exception of the ground floor zone, which is intended for commercial space. MyDistrict reports that up to 24,000 square meters of living space are now planned in the new draft plan - completely different from the original draft from December 2024, in which no residential use was planned.

The KPÖ-Brigittenau is concerned about the future of the impressive building and fears that the building could remain empty or even be demolished. It calls on the investor to implement subsidized housing and to purchase part of the area through the city for community housing. The AUVA itself points out that a general renovation of the building is not economically viable due to energy management deficiencies and technical inadequacies, and estimates that the renovation costs would be at least 150 million euros, which exceeds the costs of a new building.

Future visions and concerns

In the new zoning plan, it could also be possible to increase the building height by 10 meters to a total of 74 meters. There is even speculation that even taller structures could be built in a new building. But the reasons for these changes and the interests operating in the background remain unclear. The KPÖ criticizes the city government and demands that subsidized apartments have priority, while the SPÖ city councilor Sima explains that a dedication to subsidized housing cannot be enforced due to the local council's planning requirements. This raises questions: How will the housing market in Brigittenau develop and how can the necessary housing needs be met in the future?

So far, the plans for the former AUVA high-rise are not clear. There is an opportunity to create luxury apartments, offices and commercial spaces according to the needs of the market. KPÖ district councilor Matthias Kaltenböck expresses concern about the rising cost of living and emphasizes that more subsidized housing and fewer cooperative apartments are needed here. He is calling for the proportion of subsidized apartments in the dedication to be increased to 100 percent.

A building of architectural importance

Underlying all of these considerations is the question of monument protection, since the administration building, which was built between 1972 and 1977 Dokomomo Austria is seen as an outstanding example of post-war modernism. The outcome of the Federal Monuments Office's proceedings could be decisive in determining whether the building is protected or not. The pressure from initiatives such as the Monument Protection Initiative shows that many Viennese and experts are in favor of comprehensively securing the building. Finally, it is also uncertain whether the plans for the well-known building will come true in the long term and whether innovative and sustainable solutions for our urban landscape are possible.

In any case, it remains to be seen how the land use plan will ultimately be implemented and which ideas will actually see the light of day. The fact is that urbanization is progressing and, according to UN estimates, the urban population will more than double by 2050. The need for living space is not decreasing and solutions must be found. Worldwide clearly shows the dynamics of urbanization, and it is up to decision-makers to respond to the challenges with clever concepts and to create a pleasant living environment for all Viennese.