Handelszentrum 16
New strategies are needed for the meaningful reuse and revitalization of already sealed industrial areas that have lost their original function. In Austria, it is estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 commercial and industrial sites lie abandoned. The “Handelszentrum 16” project therefore serves as an example of what is possible in Austria when bold and forward-thinking developers and architects come together.
We strongly hope that our project is only the beginning. When a first pioneering project generates enough momentum, others follow. In this way, adapting a single complex can gradually contribute to the broader and more sustainable development of the entire area.
In addition to the newly created spatial quality, recycling the halls has saved a significant amount of embodied (gray) energy. A total of 43,000 m² of usable space was preserved and did not need to be newly built—indeed, it was even further densified. If the vacant halls had been demolished and the 25,500 m³ of already installed concrete transported to the nearest recycling facility, trucks would have traveled a total distance of approximately 80,000 km—equivalent to circling the globe twice. These trips alone would have generated over 15 tons of CO₂ emissions. This does not even account for the environmental impact of constructing a project of this size from scratch on previously undeveloped land.
In 2022, the project was awarded the “ERDREICH” prize in the category of land recycling by Minister Leonore Gewessler and the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.
