Matulik Architekten, Ried im Innkreis

Parkhaus Hargassner
Weng (AT)

Hargassner, an Austrian manufacturer of biomass heating systems, has reinforced its commitment to sustainable infrastructure with a new parking facility at its headquarters in Weng. Conceived as a bold step towards reducing CO₂ emissions in infrastructure construction, the project demonstrates the potential of timber for sustainable infrastructure.

WIEHAG delivered the structural engineering, shop drawings, fabrication and on-site installation of the largest timber multi-storey car park built to date. A milestone project that challenged WIEHAG’s timber engineers to deliver innovative structural solutions.

Holz Parkhaus Hargassner Holzkonstruktion

THE BRIEF

A BOLD TIMBER
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Hargassner commissioned WIEHAG to design and construct a new multi-storey car park for employees at its headquarters in Weng, providing convenient on-site parking. The brief also included an extension to accommodate an on-site childcare centre for employees’ children.

IMPLEMENTATION

AUSTRIA’S LARGEST
TIMBER MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK

At the request of the two project owners, the multi-storey car park was constructed in timber to reflect their shared commitment to innovation and sustainability. Only the access ramps and stair cores were built using conventional concrete construction.

The two-bay structure measures 35 × 77 metres and comprises five parking levels on each side, connected by split-level access ramps. The multi-storey car park accommodates 500 vehicles and is directly linked by bridges to the adjacent office building and the on-site childcare centre.

The linear structural elements, including the columns, floor beams and roof beams, were manufactured from glued laminated timber (glulam). The floor and roof panels were constructed from cross-laminated timber (CLT). In total, more than 2,300 m³ of timber was incorporated into the structure, making it Austria’s largest timber multi-storey car park.

The building’s overall lateral stability is provided by CLT floor diaphragms spanning more than 50 metres, transferring horizontal loads to concrete shear walls at the gable ends and to the diagonal bracing along the longitudinal façades.

A DISTINCTIVE FAÇADE

The larch façade creates a dynamic, ever-changing appearance through its varied diagonal arrangement. Depending on the viewing angle, it appears either transparent or solid. The façade is prefabricated in modular elements and reversibly fixed to the supporting structure.

The carefully considered geometry and arrangement of the larch boards direct most rainfall away from the primary structural frame. To verify this concept, innovative water spray tests were carried out on large-scale mock-ups during the design phase. At the same time, the façade retains its open character, allowing any moisture within the multi-storey car park to dissipate naturally.

The creation of the Hargassner timber parking garage

High degree of prefabrication = short construction time

In terms of the construction process, timber construction also scored highly in this project thanks to its high degree of prefabrication and its assembly-friendly connection principles in terms of assembly time. The WIEHAG assembly team only needed one working week for one of the ten storeys, which meant that the timber construction was completed after around ten weeks. At WIEHAG, a smooth construction process is always taken into account during the design, planning and production stages.

The two-storey day nursery was also built in timber. Glued wooden rib elements were also used in the ceiling and roof according to the WIEHAG system, which protects the clearance profile due to the high static usability and requires little support due to the large possible spans. The walls were designed as prefabricated timber frame elements.

We enjoyed co-developing, planning and implementing the timber car park project together with Hargassner Ges mbH and Matulik Architects. With their passion for innovation and their expertise in timber construction, WIEHAG Engineering is setting new standards for sustainable infrastructure.