Studio Maks' VISTA Science Centre in Austria Features Mirrored Undulating Roof

Dutch architecture practice Studio Maks, in collaboration with engineering firm Bollinger + Grohmann, has completed the VISTA Science Experience Centre in Austria. The glazed pavilion, located on the campus of the Institute of Technology Austria (ISTA) outside Vienna, serves as a public visitor centre with a reception, exhibition space, and cafe. The circular ground floor, wrapped in full-height glass walls, is shaded by an undulating mirrored roof that reflects the surrounding park and sky. The roof, originally designed as translucent, was redesigned due to pandemic-related disruptions, as explained by Studio Maks founder Marieke Kums. The centre's basement level, accessed via a circular stairwell that pulls in natural light, houses the main exhibition area, an auditorium, and lab and workshop spaces. A sunken patio and curved staircase on the southern edge provide an external route to the basement and additional light. The interior features a monochrome palette with white walls, black ceilings, and pale oak furniture, while thousands of mirrored tiles line the ceiling to extend the landscape's atmosphere indoors. The project aims to create a welcoming space that inspires curiosity and engagement with science, as Kums noted. Studio Maks previously designed a similar glazed visitor centre for Park Vijversburg in the Netherlands with Junya Ishigami + Associates. The photography is by Iwan Baan.