Between Vienna‘s Southeast Tangent motorway and the Gasometer, there is the new residential complex called “The Marks,” which not only serves as a highly visible landmark with three residential towers over 120 meters high but also houses Vienna’s largest bicycle garage. Approximately 2,200 bicycle parking spaces were made possible on multiple levels through an innovative construction, which we were able to inspect during a klimaaktiv mobil tour with an architect, Cycle Competence members, and ÖGUT.

Towers, base-zone, communal areas, and car-sharing

A cooperative process held in 2014 for the development of the area resulted in the decision to construct three high-rise buildings with a shared base-zone. This zone spans three floors and accommodates various communal areas, as well as an unprecedented number of double-decker bicycle racks and bike stands in Vienna. The base-zone can be utilized by the residents of all three towers and includes children’s playrooms, community spaces with cooking facilities, spa and fitness areas, as well as a 400-meter-long running track and playgrounds on the top floor. A mobility concept, including a car-sharing model and a garage with 550 parking spaces, is provided.

The noise level carried by the A23 to the buildings should, according to the Standard, not be audible at least from the tenth floor. Architect Lina Streeruwitz, whose office designed the residential tower “The One” and was commissioned with the urban master plan for the entire project The Marks, also confirmed this to the Standard newspaper. They attempted to separate the ground floor zone of the three towers from the heavily trafficked surroundings in order to create an independent urban space. According to Streeruwitz, the major challenge was accommodating parking spaces for over 2,000 bicycles.

The steel arcades with 2,200 bicycle parking spaces

For the large number of bicycles, a steel structure was designed, which our architectural guide refers to as a “bicycle shelf”: a two-story steel structure encloses the base-zone and the green and shaded open spaces. This arcade solution allows for the covering of all three bicycle parking areas: at ground level, there are freely accessible double-decker racks and bike stands, while in the two upper floors of the arcades and directly in front of the apartment entrances, additional double-decker racks and staggered bike racks are located. These areas can only be accessed by residents using a key through staircases or elevators.

Number, Access, and Parking Quality

The entire complex with its three residential towers comprises 1,182 apartments of various sizes, ranging from single households to penthouses with a view of the Schneeberg mountain, with unit sizes between 40 and 110 square meters. In contrast, there are the previously mentioned 2,200 bicycle parking spaces. So, what initially sounds like a large number and represented a very high standard during the conceptual phase from 2014 to the approval in 2017, is put into perspective in relation to the increasing demand of up to 3,000 residents.

This is also due to the fact that the amendment to the Vienna Building Code was only passed by the Vienna City Council in November 2018. Since then, a clear minimum number of bicycle parking spaces in residential buildings has been established: there must be one parking space per 30 square meters of living area. The total residential area of the three The Marks towers is estimated to be around 80,000 square meters, so the number of parking spaces is below the current guideline.

An important factor for the acceptance and use of bicycle parking facilities is the accessibility, preferably through rideable ramps, which require a significant amount of space and volume. In The Marks, one-sided grooves are installed on the entrance stairs, which have a comfortable incline and a slip-resistant surface but inevitably come with all the disadvantages of grooves, especially in case of oncoming traffic.

However, access is also possible for residents by elevators, whose dimensions should allow for trailers and cargo bikes with measurements of 2.50m x 1.10m. The maneuvering space and access lanes on the arcade areas are generously sized, but there is a lack of specifically designated parking spaces for cargo bikes and trailers with security options such as ground anchors.

During the test of the double-decker bicycle racks, which generally provide a good space-efficient solution for bicycle parking in residential buildings and bicycle garages, a major deficiency was discovered: there is a lack of attachment loops where the bicycle frame can be leaned against and secured with all common bicycle locks.

This is especially unsatisfactory in the freely accessible ground floor area, but bicycles should also be securely lockable in the residents’ areas. Unfortunately, in this regard, there was a cost-saving decision made in the procurement process, which could result in an increase in bicycle thefts and damaged bicycles.

The bicycle racks on the upper floor of the arcades are conveniently located directly in front of the apartment doors.

However, their construction lacks good leaning options. The loop for securing the bicycle frames, while present, does not accommodate all types of bike locks.

Conveniently placed in appropriate locations near entrances and business premises are small clusters of Vienna-style bike racks for short-term parking by visitors and customers.

General information about bike parking

Cycle Competence members INNOVAMETALL and Ziegler Außenanlagen offer a wide range of bike parking facilities and have extensive expertise to provide consultation for your residential complex. Under certain conditions, the klimaaktiv mobil program provides funding for bike parking facilities. You can find the contact details of the consulting Cycle Competence members here. Radlobby Österreich, a member of Cycle Competence, provides recommendations for bike parking facilities, dimensions, and quantity in their bike parking guide.

Roland Romano, spokesperson for Radlobby, confirmed after participating in the tour: “The bike arcade establishes a new dimension of bike garages in Austrian buildings. Regarding the design of the racks, spacing of parking spaces, and accessibility, Radlobby sees room for improvement. While the City of Vienna is on the right track with projects like this, there is still a lack of basic quality requirements for bike parking spaces and such obligations for non-residential buildings. The current amendment to the building code offers an opportunity to make progress in both aspects.”

Details about “The Marks” residential towers

Located in the third district of Vienna (Landstraße) in the “Neu Marx” area, these three residential high-rise buildings were constructed on an urban three-story base. Until 2023, the three nonprofit housing developers Österreichische Siedlungswerk (ÖSW), Neues Leben, and WBV-GPA, together with BUWOG, built three new landmarks. Special attention was given to social diversity and a mix of different types of housing units in this project. The planning was based on the winning project of a realisation competition by “studiovlay.streeruwitz”, along with the second and third-place architecture firms, “Rüdiger Lainer + Partner” and “BEHF Architekten”. Each architectural team developed their own tower through multiple competition stages. The three-story base was designed collaboratively.

Playground on the roof surface of the base zone, connected by a 400m running track.

The ÖSW (Austrian Housing Foundation) realised its high-rise building, the “Q-Tower,” in collaboration with the architectural firm Rüdiger Lainer + Partner. The building, with a height of 114 meters, has around 490 apartments spread across 35 floors. Of these, approximately 170 are rental apartments and around 230 are flats for sale. The second tower, developed by two other housing associations (Neues Leben, WBV-GPA), is called “The One” and is the tallest of the three residential high-rises. The tower consists of 178 rental apartments and 232 flats for sale and was designed by studiovlay.streeruwitz Architects. The third tower, “HELIO Tower,” with its recessed balconies, was realised by BEHF Architects.

Aussicht von den oberen Stockwerken von The Marks von Der Standard-Redakteur Michael Hirner.

Pictures: Alec Hager, Die Radvokat:innen