Because of its site near Vienna’s Ringstraße, the Franz-Josefs-Kai and Vordere Zollamtstraße, which contribute significantly to the city skyline, the new building must be sensitively incorporated into the surrounding structure. The new building will permit an attractive link between the city centre and the historically significant area of the Praterstrasse.

The planning of the new building must include areas for cultural activities. Events should make the site a lively place after office hours in the heart of Vienna.

Another condition the competitors had to meet was that the new building should reflect the forward-looking philosophy of the client, and apart from meeting the formal requirements, it should contain all the technical facilities required for current future needs relating to ecology and the economy.

Participants in the competition:

• Ernst Beneder and Anja Fischer, Vienna
• Dietmar Feichtinger, Paris
• Nicholas Grimshaw, London
• Wilhelm Holzbauer, Vienna
• Heinz Neumann, Vienna
• Gustav Peichl, Vienna
• Paolo Piva, Vienna
• Helmut Richter, Vienna

The jury:

Arch. Dipl.-Ing.Ferdinand Stracke (Chairman)
Arch.Dipl.-Ing. Ernst Hoffmann (Deputy Chairman)
Arch. Mag. Hans Hollein
Arch.Prof. Josef Paul Kleinhues
Dictrict Mayor Gerhard Kubik
Planning Director Prof. Dipl.-Ing.
Dr. Arnold Klotz Senatsrat
Dipl.-Ing Klaus Vatter
Gen.-Dir. Herbert Schimetschek
Chairman of the Board Dr.Gottfried Wanitschek
Komm.-Rat Günther Sallaberger

Extent of the project
About 30,000 m² (subject to planning permission)

Result of the first round
The competing projects were studied and assessed last week by the jury. There was only a very small points difference between the two leading contenders, - Dietmar Feichtinger and Heinz Neumann

• The project by Architect Dietmar Feichtinger takes up and continues the existing perspective. A unified façade links the individual sections. According to the angle of the light, the slightly reflective glass produces different mirror effects and facets. The most striking feature is the “tower” to the south-west, which presents a striking link to the 2^nd District.          
• The project by Architect Heinz Neumann concentrates primarily on the first section of the project. It is lively, full of movement, open, and the building light-heartedly stretches upward. Its basic shape alludes to the curve of the UNIQA logo and translates it into architectonic terms, whilst strongly taking into consideration the line of sight of the Ringstraße and Franzensbrücke . Openness dominates, both within and without.

The following rankings also produced an ex aequo result. Austria’s star architects Holzbauer and Peichl shared third place.

The jury has now asked the first-placed architects to develop their concepts, the aim being optimal realization of significance and harmony.