Round table in Vienna

Rescue operation for our Michaelerplatz!

SPÖ city councillor Ulli Sima, together with "Krone" publisher Christoph Dichand, hosted a round table with many renowned experts. Topic: Michaelerplatz.

(Bild: Michael Pommer)

Michaelerplatz in the heart of Vienna with an allotment garden and children's playground atmosphere? A new round table has prevented many of the things that had disturbed both conservationists and Krone readers about the city's plans at the last minute.

Water feature, trees with jungle-like wild growth, pimped-up plant beds in between - Michaelerplatz Neu could have won the allotment garden award after the renovation, but the plans were unworthy of a city like Vienna given the historical significance of the square. Now a round table of high-ranking experts with the participation of the "Krone" was held at City Hall on Thursday.

Bringing everyone to the table
Who was there? First and foremost, city planning councillor Ulli Sima from the SPÖ and "Krone" publisher Christoph Dichand, who had invited renowned luminaries to the discussion. Namely: the two architects Maria Auböck and Elke Delugan-Meissl, art historian Gerald Matt as well as architect Paul Katzberger (planner of the Michaelerplatz redesign), Franz Kobermaier (Head of Department MA 19 - Architecture and Urban Design), climate expert Robert Lechner (Head of the Ecology Institute) and landscape ecologist Thomas Knoll. The question: How to save Michaelerplatz now?

The city's original plans caused protests among the Viennese.

(Bild: ZOOMVP.AT)

Not a square like any other
"We have received many letters from readers who have criticized this square, which is so special for Vienna," explains Krone editor Christoph Dichand. "The water feature in particular would create the impression of a playground." Gerald Matt agrees, warning against "tourists who confuse Michaelerplatz with a beach and jump around in swimming trunks."

Cooling is important. But there must also be other options. The water fountain would have looked like a playground.

„Krone“-Herausgeber Christoph Dichand

Maria Auböck called for a "respectful approach to the historic nature of the square" and explained: "What I miss above all is the overall concept. I would have liked to see a brainstorming session with national and international experts to develop concepts for what is possible in places like this. To set a framework." For Elke Delugan-Meissl, this raised the question: "Is Michaelerplatz a suitable place to sit down, eat a sausage roll and drink a Coke?"

What could be avoided so far:

• Bollard planting - the planted bowls have been removed. The tall shrubs planned in them are also history.
• Raised beds and standard shrubs along the Hofburg have been dispensed with.
• The original raised borders of the tree grates have been removed - the tree grates are now at ground level.

Sima promises "good solution for the city"
What is a thorn in the side of many critics: the planned bluebell trees, which are known for their rapid growth and aggressive root formation. The horror scenario: a kind of botanical garden between the Looshaus, St. Michael's Church and the Hofburg. "I have taken over the project and it is already under reconstruction. But I also want to find a good solution for the city," says Councillor Sima.

The new plans:

• The much-criticized and indeed architecturally unacceptable water feature is NOT coming! Sima: "It has not yet been installed and can therefore be discarded."
• The trees are under scrutiny. The MA 42 is investigating whether there could be alternative varieties that provide shade and fit into the overall structure.
• The strategy concept for historic squares in Vienna has been commissioned. The first step is a social space analysis, which now clarifies the questions: Who lives where, and what is needed?

Important discussion initiated
Much of the criticism could be avoided, but some remains. The same applies to the discussion about changes to the historical heritage - and this must be continued. After all, places like Michaelerplatz are not just about the design of the urban space, but also a place with historical significance.

We will commission the strategy concept for historic squares that has been called for.

Stadträtin Ulli Sima (SPÖ)

Stephansplatz was still a meadow when Michaelerplatz already existed: as the excavations there show, the main gate of the Vindobona Roman camp was located here. The paths have remained to this day, especially along the axis from Kohlmarkt to Heldenplatz. 300 years ago, the traffic junction finally became the square that has survived unscathed to this day. And it is not just any square.

What today looks like the "rear exit" of the Hofburg has always been the main entrance. The Burgtor and Ringstrasse only completed the ensemble centuries later. Michaelerplatz thus always functioned as a symbolic center between the imperial Hofburg and the bourgeois inner city. It is no coincidence that it became the center of the revolution of 1848. In the meantime, however, there is peace on the square and - thanks to the commitment of many Viennese - now also around the square again.