The House of Austrian History (hdgö) is moving to the MuseumsQuartier. The winning project by O&O Baukunst from the architectural competition organised in spring 2024 will see the construction of a sustainable new building in timber construction for the hdgö's new location. This new building will elegantly blend in with the existing building. The old building will be gutted to create large, connected exhibition spaces. The design blends seamlessly into the Klosterhof-courtyard, and a sustainable planting concept will enhance the visitor experience.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026 and the museum will be completed by the end of 2028.
The new location
The new museum building is the first extension to the MQ since it opened in 2001 and will provide the House of Austrian History with a total floor space of over 4,000 square metres on five levels, of which around 3,000 square metres will be used as exhibition and educational space. This will enable a significant expansion of the exhibition programme compared to the previous location.
An extension is planned for the listed historic roof truss. A structural feasibility study has confirmed that the entire roof truss is historically significant. The entire wooden structure will therefore be preserved over a length of 60 metres, creating a very special exhibition ambience for visitors. A new three-storey building is planned for the Klosterhof-courtyard to house the entrance to the museum. The ground floor will house the foyer, ticket office, shop, etc. The upper floors will house educational and exhibition areas.
The offices currently housed there and the Dschungel Wien rehearsal stage must be relocated in order to create this access and adapt the required ground floor space. The stage and its ancillary rooms in the right wing of the building will remain, and a new underground building in the Fürstenhof is planned for the new rehearsal stage. The offices will be located on the site, in the immediate vicinity and with a direct connection to the theatre.
Committed to sustainability in existing and new buildings
The new hdgö building will be made of wood from local sustainable forestry. The old building will be upgraded to meet the latest energy standards and will be certified as a climate-active building. Heat-resistant trees and shrubs will be planted in the courtyard to prevent the ground from heating up. Rainwater will be reused.
Architectural competition an implementation
In September 2024, a top-class jury of experts reached a unanimous decision in favour of the project by O&O Baukunst in the realisation competition for the House of Austrian History (hdgö) in the MuseumsQuartier Wien and for replacement areas for the Dschungel Wien.
Following the announcement by the federal government of the new location of the hdgö on 15 November 2023, the realisation competition was launched in March 2024. The organiser of the competition is the MuseumsQuartier Errichtungs- und Betriebsgesellschaft, which is also the builder. The central tasks of the MQ include the planning, construction and provision of space for the federal government's collections and museums.
