Speising Fire Station by Illiz Architektur

The revamped station comprises three spatial/functional units: vehicle hall, high-activity areas, and quiet rooms. The space in the late 19C building at the rear of the site, which extends back some distance from the street, has been reorganized and is now fully usable. The common areas and kitchen with adjoining dining room and outdoor terrace are located on the ground floor; the six quiet “ready rooms” for the twelve firefighters are accommodated upstairs.

The new single-story vehicle hall faces the street. Now connected by a low-level “linking structure”, which also forms the main fire station entrance, both the hall and the original building remain recognizably independent structures. The watch commander’s office is strategically positioned close to this main entrance, between the vehicle hall and the common areas.

The thermally decoupled design of the vehicle hall is both efficient and sustainable. A high degree of prefabrication was chosen in view of the short construction time, with precast concrete elements and hollow-core slabs spanning the 12-meter-wide hall, where three red fire engines stand ready to turn out at a moment’s notice. Arrayed along the rear wall is a series of red lockers. Elsewhere, the interior of the hall is dominated by fair-faced concrete, a non-flammable material that conveys a sense of safety.

To the left of the hall, a high entry gate regulates access to the interior courtyard, which provides space for staff parking and training exercises. To the right, a change in facade height indicates the lower ancillary rooms behind.