Site Specific: Bogen 131

David Fink, Lukas Fink and Tobias Fink - Innsbruck, Austria, 2021

A collaboration between three architects, this project sees commercial premises within a railway viaduct transformed in to a new bicycle shop. The clarity of structural, programmatic and exterior elements, emphasised through the use of colour, helps to realise the design team’s ambitions to magnify the project’s positive effect on the surrounding public space.

DF, LF and TF Bogen 131 is part of Innsbruck's longest building: A railway viaduct which crosses the district of Saggen, running between the main railway station and the river Inn. Located within one of the arches of the viaduct these premises lie at the intersection of Innsbruck’s historical inner city and a commercial zone – a place where different building types, programs and user groups come together.

We were asked to convert a former darts club into a bicycle shop with storage and a small workshop on the upper floor. In addition to the maximum utilization of the existing structure and the re-use of existing materials, we tried to use the program in order to create new qualities of public space.

The facade serves on the one hand as clear display and separation between inside and outside, and on the other hand it becomes a filter space which invites people to pause and rest: the main entrance is marked by a large canopy, a bench and a shop window which create an intimate space in the city. On the opposite side is a secondary entrance and delivery bay – visible through a cantilevered overhead crane that intertwines interior and exterior space with a large access door on the upper level. The shape of the windows is adapted to the existing facade openings. The interior is divided only by furniture, which separates the sales area from the serving area and derives a sculptural character from their respective function.

The project was realized during the global Covid-19 pandemic. For the whole building process a team of carpenters was permanently employed. This condition allowed the coordination of the construction site from afar, as well as very specific technical solutions.

NOTES

Posted 7th September 2021

Many thanks to Lukas Fink, Tobias Fink and David Fink for sharing this project with us.