ERDBERG (AT) - In today's enthusiasm for sustainable
development, the hype surrounding many projects often involves
their near-zero energy consumption or diminutive carbon
footprint. But in the case of Coop Himmelb(l)au's award-winning
office tower, the so-called 'energy-active' design is in fact
projected to produce more energy than it uses. Town Town
Erdberg, located on the outskirts of Vienna adjacent to a subway
line and nearby the airport and a major highway, intends to be
the distinctive centrepiece for sustainable design in this
emerging urban zone. Like an echinoderm escaped from the sea,
the building's eccentric architectural form derives from a spiny
skin that envelopes both slab and tower elements, and was
developed to exploit local climatic conditions. In-depth
analyses of wind flows and sun trajectories at the site led the
architects to two key energy harnessing elements: the external
facade's optimum geometry, consisting of folded sheet metal
facets and special panels coated with a photovoltaic