Metro, St. Pölten – Austria’s first BREEAM Outstanding building in 10 years
The new Metro Cash & Carry in St. Pölten, Austria by architects Poppe*Prehal.
Learn how Andreas Prehal designed a BREEAM Outstanding market made of wood
Learn how Andreas Prehal designed a BREEAM Outstanding market made of wood
When Metro put a tender out to architects and general planners for their new St.Pölten Metro store there was one key requirement: the new building should be a zero emissions building. For Architect Poppe*Prehal this was a challenge they knew they could rise to, and even exceed – they pushed the new Metro to achieve Outstanding BREEAM status. ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems met with Andreas Prehal to discuss how he ensured the new Metro achieved zero emissions while still optimizing the flow of people and goods, and creating a great looking building.
The importance of an optimized building shell
The Metro store in St. Pölten is a zero emissions building. Poppe*Prehal started with a wooden building shell. That shell is then optimized by thinking about every detail: from using the finest wooden materials in the structure to selecting windows and entrances that contribute to the building’s efficiency. Insulated Isodock dock levelers from ASSA ABLOY were the last part to complete the insulated building shell. Without insulated loading bays a great deal of heat and energy would have been lost every day during the loading and unloading of goods – so they were a critical addition.
Natural materials for a natural aesthetic
Poppe*Prehal architects construct most of their buildings out of wood because, as they see it, building with wood is the only way to create truly sustainable buildings. But it is not only sustainable, it is also an attractive natural product which creates an appealing aesthetic. The Metro store in St. Pölten has a full wooden façade made from spruce. Spruce is naturally grey – an earthy tone, it coordinates with the local landscape: reflecting the local woodland and surrounding agricultural land.
Creating a shopping experience
The new Metro market in St. Pölten has been designed to make it more accessible, easier to navigate and more enjoyable for shoppers to shop, compared to a regular Metro Cash & Carry. While other Metro stores have high shelves and a limited overview of where stock is for customers, the new St. Pölten store is much more user-friendly.
The shopping area is enhanced by reducing the cold shopping areas by about 50%. Only items that really need to be kept cold are in chilled areas, and these are separated from the main shopping area with insulated automatic entrance and exit doors. The automatic doors guide customers through the chilled areas, preventing congestion and unnecessary opening.
