A stone’s throw from the world-famous Melk Abbey lies the former production site of the Fürst cabinetmakers (“Tischlerei” in German). A multi-functional, climate-neutral urban district in line with NEB criteria is currently being developed here at the home of the family business, which boasts a long and venerable tradition.1 The new “Tischlerei Melk” quarter is to serve as a flagship project, showcasing how aesthetics, sustainability and inclusion can be combined in a forward-looking concept designed to last 150 years.
The history of the Tischlerei Melk site stretches back nearly a century: from 1938 to 2008, the company Fürst Möbel GmbH crafted furniture here to high standards of aesthetic appeal and sustainability. A historical sketch of the former production facility shows that, right from the very start, the site had been designed as a multi-functional quarter with a distinct focus on communal living and working. Besides production halls, the premises also housed dwellings for the workers, offices and workshops as well as large kitchen gardens for growing vegetables and open spaces for communal leisure activities and ce-lebrations. Drawing on these traditions, an ambitious overarching concept is now being devised for the 4,200 m2 site that is to serve as a role model for applying the NEB criteria specifically in a rural area.
Site put to successful temporary use since 2008
The company grew steadily over the decades, until a shortage of space forced it to relocate its production operations to a former spinning mill in 2008. Not long afterwards, part of the old site was repurposed as a small theatre for concerts and cabaret shows. The “Tischlerei Melk Kulturwerkstatt” culture workshop moved into the abandoned production halls and has put on a varied cultural programme ever since, attracting over 150,000 people and counting.
A vision for a NEB district
The complex process of formulating a vision for a new, multi-functional and sustainable urban district in line with NEB principles got under way in 2021. Participation and co-creation are playing a key role at all project planning stages, with regular expert discussions, workshops and symposia being held with various interest groups from the outset. This has already enabled over 1,000 people to get involved in the process. The overarching aim is to lay the foundations for an architectural, technical and urban design concept for the centre of the new neighbourhood. There is hope that the NEB district will last at least 150 years and be met with acceptance and broad-based support from locals and all other stakeholders.
Urban accents in a rural area
There are currently two main thrusts to the development. Firstly, “prototypes” for using the existing buildings have been being trialled since 2021. Besides the cultural workshop, various other formats and initiatives have been put in place on the Tischlerei site to breathe new life into the vacant buildings and turn them into meeting places. These include a coworking space with 14 workstations, the FamilienQuartier Melk, a makers’ space and Austria’s first-ever green hostel. The regular after-work events are proving popular. There are also numerous activities and events for young and old alike, such as the “Kinderkosmos” craft workshops, where retired professionals introduce the youngest participants to skilled trades. These prototypes have now become the lifeblood of the neighbourhood and have been used by almost 25,000 people so far. Various surfaces, including a silo, have been painted by well-known artists such as GOLIF and Deadbeathero to produce a visible sign of the area’s vibrant cultural scene.
Formulating a concept fit for the future
At the same time, efforts are under way to lay the foundations for a groundbreaking concept for developing the site. This envisions a multi-functional neighbourhood of newbuilds and renovated existing buildings with a mixture of uses, providing space for small shops, apartments, offices, event spaces, restaurants and hotels. To support concept development, research projects are also being undertaken, the results of which are to be incorporated into the next planning steps. For instance, a study has been prepared that addresses the question of what added value timber brings as a building material for the New European Bauhaus.2 Amongst other things, this has led to a set of guidelines for timber construction companies being produced that highlights the potential that wood offers as a building material in the sustainable construction sector.
Next steps
The civic participation process was launched recently. As many as 50 people will be actively contributing to the cooperative planning process for the public and semi-public spaces on the Tischlerei Melk site and have already had the chance to attend an initial participation workshop. The participation process will provide some key basic insights for briefing the project planners, while the results of the workshop will be incorporated into the remaining planning steps. Regional stakeholders and locals are also to have a hand in evaluating the various concepts. This has never been done before anywhere in Europe, since cooperative planning processes for whole neighbourhoods have only ever been conducted by public bodies, not private individuals. The master plan for redeveloping the site in stages will be worked out between now and late 2025, after which construction is set to begin. Melk will thus play host to the first NEB district in a rural area, making it a pioneering project for a new form of regional development.
www.unseretischlerei.at
klimaneutralestadt.at/en/projects/tiks/neb-tischlerei-melk.php
1 Project partners: Fürst Holding GmbH (project management), AKXSO GmbH, Fachhochschule St. Pölten GmbH, M.O.O.CON GmbH
2 Project partners: Fürst Holding GmbH, AKXSO GmbH, Dietrich Untertrifaller ZT GmbH, Ozeangrün eU, Matthias Dallinger eU
