Gasometer City, Vienna

Originally, the Gasometers provided the city of Vienna with its coal gas supply.  Eventually, natural gas replaced the use of coal gas, which resulted in the Gasometers becoming basically pointless.  In 1984 the gas tanks were shut down for good, and stood vacant for a number of years.  The Gasometers were used for various purposes before they were reinvented in/around 2001.  One of the most well-known purposes of the Gasometers was as a set for the James Bond Movie, The Living Daylights.  In 2001, when they were reinvented, a set of four architects were given the opportunity to renovate one of the four Gasometers (titled A, B, C, and D).  Today, Gasometer City even has its own U-Bahn station.

Gasometer A: Architect Jean Nouvel was assigned to this Gasometer.  He made it into an indoor plaza with huge windows and a transparent dome that allows an amazing amount of light into the structure.

Indoor gardens

Gasometer B: Coop Himmelb(l)au was given the opportunity to reinvent Gasometer B.  Today the Gasometer holds 360 apartments as well as offices.  There is even a "sky-lobby" on the 6th floor where students and other residents of the building interact in the social/common space.  Another neat thing that Coop Himmelb(l)au did was to add a 22-story building to the outside of the gasometer.  The building has a bending shape.  Inside there is a concert hall (which seats up to 3,500), a student hostel, health facilities, more apartments, and also a shopping mall.

Gasometer B and the added building

Gasometer C: Architect Manfred Wehdorn turned this Gasometer into an eco-friendly apartment building that has a variety of indoor gardens that add to the "greenness" of the building.

Gasometer D: Whilelm Holzbauer originally wanted to reinvent this Gasometer into a hotel, but the plan was rejected.  It ended up as another apartment building which also contains indoor gardens.

Sources:

"Gasometer City, Vienna." Vienna Direct - Austria's capital from an independent view. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2013. .

"Industrial Renovation: The Gasometers of Vienna     «TwistedSifter." TwistedSifter. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2013. .

"The Architecture of the Gasometers." Die Gasometer in Wien. Konzerte, Tickets, Führungen, Programm, Pop Akademie, Musikschule mit Wohnungen und Studentenwohnheim im revitalisiertem Gasbehälter Gaswerk. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2013. .

"Vienna’s Repurposed Gas Tank City  - 1-800-RECYCLING." Find Recycling Locations, Green Living Tips and More - 1-800-Recycling. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2013. .