Gray and loud

How Tandler-Platz is to become an idyllic green space

Planning Councillor Ulli Sima and District Head Saya Ahmad (both SPÖ) presented the plans for Julius-Tandler-Platz(Bild: Zwefo)

Dirty, gray and noisy - Julius-Tandler-Platz in the 9th district is truly no feast for the eyes. But the 2025 renovation is set to improve everything.

Every week, the city presents redesign projects for squares that are "not particularly attractive" according to Planning Councillor Ulli Sima (SPÖ). She calls it a transformation process for the entire city, which is currently in full swing. Now it's the turn of the area around Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof - finally. After all, Julius-Tandler-Platz is not a place with any quality of stay.

Julius-Tandler-Platz is not an attractive place. The eight-storey superstructure of Franz-Josef-Bahnhof is currently being renovated and will be completed by the end of 2024.(Bild: Zwefo)

Together with district leader Saya Ahmad (SPÖ), City Councillor Sima presented initial plans for the square in the heart of Alsergrund. Sima's predecessor Maria Vassilakou (Greens) once wanted to have Vienna's first skyscraper park built here, based on the New York model, with skyscrapers up to 126 meters high. Following public protests, the plans were withdrawn. The ugly square fell into a deep slumber. 15 years later, smaller buns are being baked.

One thing is certain: there will be significantly more greenery than there is now. Which is not particularly difficult, because you have had to look for green spaces here with a magnifying glass. But it can still be a bit spectacular: 46 new trees - three times as many as there are now. The green spaces will grow from 21 square meters to 2140 square meters. That's a hundredfold increase. Construction is due to start in spring 2025 - it should be finished six months later.