Sicherheitszentrum Tirol

How can the formal language and a logical functional sequence inside the building complement each other?

How can the security centre open up to its surroundings while at the same time meeting the high demands of security and protection?

In urban design terms, the design for the new Sicherheitszentrum Tirol takes up the scale of the surrounding perimeter blocks. The new building integrates the existing structures on Kaiserjägerstraße and those of the present special operations command.

Where two perimeter blocks intersect, a larger and a smaller courtyard overlap. The intersection of the building parts forms the pulsating core of the new security centre, accentuated as a tower. The complex as a whole thus has three functionally distinct inner courtyards: a parade ground to the south-west, a goods and delivery yard to the north-east and, at the centre, a traffic-free, covered atrium for staff. The courtyards and their intersection give rise to a clear internal sequence throughout the complex. At the same time, this building form allows exterior and interior spaces, public representation and internal operations to interact through the deliberate opening and closing of visual relationships.

To the outside, the new security centre presents itself as calm, clear and enduring. The uniform design of the façade integrates existing and new volumes into a new, coherent building complex. The façade design takes up the grid of the existing façade on Kaiserjägerstraße and uses the flexibility of that grid to respond to the various requirements inside the building. Stone, a solid, high-quality façade material, underlines the security centre’s representative aspirations to the outside, such as permanence, reliability and longevity – the chosen stone also stands for calm, closeness and naturalness. The constant rhythm of the façades holds the building together, while deliberate deviations create accents and emphasise, for instance, the entrance.

The entire inner façade is of metal and glass and more finely structured. Here the building enters into a dialogue with itself and represents the efficiency and transparency of the Sicherheitszentrum Tirol. The tower at the centre is visible from the street at certain points. An interplay emerges between the exterior and interior materiality of the security centre.

The street space around the entire building is accessible on foot and by bicycle from all sides. The cycle path between the exhibition hall and the security centre runs past the new complex and connects directly to the existing Nothburgaheim cycle path. The friendly, green ambience of Kaiserjägerstraße is taken up and continued with a new avenue of trees in Kapuzinergasse. Building, avenue and widened street together create an urban ambience like a boulevard. To maintain continuity for users and visitors, the main entrance is placed, as today, centrally on Kaiserjägerstraße. From a distance, the tower guides the way to the building like a landmark; on arrival, the wide entrance opens up a view of the tower.

The security centre will qualify for the internationally recognised WELL & LEED certifications by architecturally ensuring excellent use of daylight, stimulating the thermal well-being of staff through an outstanding indoor climate and being designed for energy efficiency. The design focuses on optimising rainwater management and intelligent, energy-saving ventilation of the rooms.