Our design for the new Campus Nordwestbahnhof reimagines what a school can be: a living place that grows with its users and becomes part of the emerging neighbourhood, without creating boundaries. Children here are not only part of their classroom – they are always part of the whole.

The L-shaped main building closes the street-facing block edge while opening towards the green heart of the quarter. From the outside, the building is defined by a continuous activity zone, two to seven metres deep, offering users a wide variety of outdoor spaces. A green envelope of climbing plants and planting troughs shades the facades in summer, improves the urban microclimate, and provides pupils and teachers with generous outdoor areas directly at the building.

Inside, a central boulevard connects all parts of the campus: the hall, gym, creative rooms and classroom wings are all arranged along this shared spine, with open voids and visual connections fostering a sense of openness and community. Despite the scale of the campus, each educational cluster feels manageable and has its own dedicated outdoor space.

Parts of the forecourt and outdoor areas are also open to the public, serving as sports and play spaces for the wider neighbourhood. The building is conceived as a timber and reinforced concrete hybrid structure, with flexible layouts that allow for future expansion. Rooftop photovoltaics and a high-efficiency heat pump supply the building's energy needs – ensuring the campus is designed to meet the City of Vienna's climate targets from its very first year of operation.