Renzo Piano to Build Residential Complex in Vienna's Quartier Belvedere

Renzo Piano has been commissioned to design a residential and hotel complex in Vienna's Quartier Belvedere, marking the final lot of a large redevelopment area near the Hauptbahnhof. The project, developed with local firm NMPB Architekten for Signa Development, consists of five cohesive, slender buildings with polygonal plans, elevated on high pilotis inspired by Le Corbusier. This design creates a green void for vegetation and connects the residential area to the adjacent Schweizergarten. The site, historically a nerve center with two major railway terminals, now hosts the unified Hauptbahnhof, featuring sculptural silver wave-like canopies. The Quartier Belvedere name is a marketing label; the district is historically called Favoriten. The complex will be located near the Belvedere Castle, home to historic art collections, and the 21er Haus, a contemporary art museum originally built for the 1958 Brussels Expo. Piano's involvement began in 2008, and construction has recently started.