Arjun Batra

Exchange Studio

The project, developed as a meteorological research center and exhibition, sits in the middle of the Donauinsel, Vienna. It acts as a revival of an old weather tower located on the chosen site. Its location providing large open spaces and along the direction of the wind, makes it an ideal spot for weather calculation. The structure draws influence from the core of the studio ‘Architecture of the Heavens’, and exhibits it through three main principles. Firstly, the system, developed as a controlled environment, uses the concept of solar chimneys as a ventilation system. Secondly, space, developed as a void within the Earth, its expression reflects the idea of dealing with air where it is not present, a bubble within the mass of the Earth itself. And lastly, the program is a reflection of air research and calculation. By submerging the spaces below ground and highlighting only the solar chimneys, the project is developed as an educational structure, exposing its ventilation system, allowing visitors and researchers to witness the actual circulation of air and understand its presence and effect on the surroundings. This also led the building to be a part of the forested landscape, and not overpower the surroundings it rests upon.