Salzburg Exhibition Centre, Austria

In recent years, the architecture of trade fair halls and convention centres has undergone dramatic changes. Whereas in the past they were planned as functionally inward-looking areas on greenspace, recently the focus has increasingly shifted to both integration into existing structures and relationship with the environment. This is the case with the Messezentrum Salzburg too. Despite the need to accommodate large numbers of visitors, the new, cube-shaped building by kadawittfeldarchitektur from Aachen has been integrated elegantly into the existing, ring-shaped hall structure while also complementing the exhibition area with a striking extension. The nearly 28,000 square metres of floor space encompassing the foyer, multifunctional hall, seminar rooms and adjoining areas have been compactly arranged on two levels by the architects. On the ground floor, the recessed foyer welcomes visitors, while on the upper floor, the projecting conference area offers an unrestricted view of the trade fair landscape and, in particular, a breathtaking panoramic view of the mountains down the trade fair boulevard through the huge, full-height window front.

The design of the glass façade facilitates subtle but exciting interaction between interior and exterior. The impressive views are made possible by the large-size glass panes measuring 2,200 x 6,500mm containing extremely colour-neutral CLIMATOP COOL-LITE SKN 165 solar control glass. The surface of the glass measures approximately 650m² and can also be backlit in different colours, depending on the desired result.