Seestadt, north of Vienna – one of the largest European urban development project of recent decades. Where fox and hare said good night just a few years ago, skyscrapers and office complexes shoot from the ground like mushrooms. 240 hectares are to be developed over the next ten years. This corresponds to the size of 336 soccer fields. By 2028, 20,000 people will live in Seestadt. 10,500 apartments, 15,000 office workplaces and 5000 jobs in industry and innovative facilities are waiting for them. But life is not supposed to happen behind walls and closed doors. Outside lure the specially designed lake, several hectares of parks, playgrounds and public structures – a green showcase project of public cohabitation. Several thousand people have already moved to Seestadt. But such gigantic projects need their time – time, not only to fill the buildings with life, but also the exterior space. A community of completely different individuals has to develop in a city without history. Many places are lifeless, just framed by the scaffoldings of new buildings or by construction cranes. Although more and more people are living in Seestadt, the city seems to be abandoned. Nevertheless, when walking through Seestadt, one feels like walking through the life-size model designed by architects.
The long-term project about Seestadt is devoted to the first steps of a city. It is the moment, when architecture already exists but has to be combined with life. But more, it is the moment, when the characteristic, unique atmosphere and spirit of a new city start to develop.
Amadeus Waldner (*1986), born and raised in the middle of the alps, in South Tyrol, where he is living and working as a freelance photographer.
Website: amadeuswaldner.com
