Numerous renovation works were carried out inside and outside the almost 140-year-old building. Several trades worked simultaneously, be it on the roof, in the conference hall or in the new visitors’ gallery. From demolition work to the elaborate refurbishment of listed elements, no effort was spared to modernise the building while preserving its historical value. These and other aspects were laid down in the principles of the renovation project:
– The house stands for parliamentary democracy and is of high political, architectural, cultural-historical value – its preservation is an obligation.
– The goals of the measures are – in addition to repairing the structural defects and damage – to adapt the building to current laws and standards (barrier-free access, fire protection), to use the space reserves and to further open up the building.
– The working possibilities for MPs, clubs and staff of the parliamentary administration will be improved, the work processes will be optimised and adapted to modern working standards.
– Expediency, economy, efficiency and professionalism are the highest principles of action.
– Open and transparent communication is maintained both internally for mandataries and staff and with regards to the public and the media.
With silent rush, the choice is Sedus
In addition to some historical furniture that has been returned to parliament after restoration, there is now a selection of e new seating. An example is the comfortable swivel chair silent rush in classic black, supporting the MPs in their work in future. The model is a mixture of swivel and lounge chair and thus provides the user with the best comfort for daily work. For the MPs and the three presidents, there were about 300 specially made chairs – with low, as well as high, backrests and with an extra fire-proof version of the upholstery leather. The patented Sedo-Lift mechanism with a 30-year guarantee was also built into the models. It ensures soft seating at any seat height.
Peter Sablatnig, Managing Director of Sedus Austria and CEE is delighted with this great project: “With seating in such a historic building, it was immediately clear that our model had to be close to the original chair. The choice therefore fell on ‘silent rush’, a swivel chair that combines ergonomics, style, comfort and design history to a particularly high degree.”
Guided tours will be available again from this month. More information on the history and the building project can be found here: Reference Parliament Wien
