“Art meets future” is the motto here at the Future Art Lab. This unique building completes the campus. It is reminiscent of Anglo-American models, a rarity in Vienna.
The Future Art Lab opened its doors as a multifunctional center. It serves teaching, art, and research purposes. The architects Pichler and Traupmann designed it. Their aim was to overlap various semantic layers in form and function. They wanted the building to be experienced holistically. It should embody a stratified whole.
Inside the Future Art Lab, the internal organization is based on function and acoustics. Each institute enjoys compactness and daylight. The Institute for Electro-acoustic Music and Composition is in the basement. It includes the Klangtheater and recording hall. A sunken courtyard provides natural east light to teaching spaces.
The Film Academy occupies the entire first floor. To maximize daylight, a wing folds inwards. This creates a large terrace. The Art House Cinema has public access on the ground floor. Its lower level connects to the basement.
The second floor is for the Institute for Keyboard Instruments. The concert hall uses the full roof volume. It is naturally lit.
The Future Art Lab embodies an optimal combination of aesthetics and functionality. It enlivens the existing campus ensemble. It reflects the mdw’s heterogeneity. The cinema enables the Film Academy to present its work to the public. The Future Art Lab stages events featuring music, spoken theatre, music theatre, and film.
Students gain immediate experience of their work’s reception here. A studio specifically designed for film sound simulates professional life. Synergies exist between the Department of Composition, Electroacoustics and Tonmeister Education, and the Film Academy. The building also provides space for the Department of Piano, chamber music, early music, and artistic research.
The Future Art Lab offers spaces for exchange and synergy. Terraces and different rooms invite people to come together. Its design showcases the abilities of Pichler & Traupmann. They understood the needs of an arts and music university.
The building also houses the Artistic Research Center. It stands for quality in arts education. The Future Art Lab provides students with the best possible learning environment. Every event space connects with sound studios. Audio and video can be streamed or broadcast directly.
The cinema hall is at the heart of the Future Art Lab. L213 armchairs provide elegant seating. Some have tip-up writing tablets and electrical sockets.
The Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft invested approximately EUR 24 million in the Future Art Lab. Geothermal heating and concrete core cooling control indoor temperatures. Waste heat is used to produce energy. The Future Art Lab stands as a beacon. It promotes Vienna as a city of education and the arts. It provides optimal conditions for artistic and academic work. A star is born.