The Convent Garden project on Kapuzinerstraße in Linz involved the renovation of the historic Baroque Capuchin monastery and church in accordance with conservation guidelines, as well as the addition of an extension and an eight-story new building. The former monastery, which served various functions over the centuries, was redesigned for 21st-century office work.

While the historic structures impress with their ornate arches, leaded glass windows, and massive roof truss constructions, the new building makes a deliberately contemporary statement with its shimmering metal façade. The low courtyard extension was carefully added to the monastery, while the striking new building creates an exciting contrast with its clear design language. A 25-ton steel platform was installed in the former church, now a social and culinary meeting place, offering new possibilities for use as a gallery floor. The open spaces around the ensemble were reinterpreted as “urban oases”: an open square in front of the church and a terrace with a view of the greenery offer a pleasant place to linger in the middle of the city.

Construction work began in 2022 after an intensive planning phase by the Arkform office in collaboration with Peter Riepl (Riepl Riepl) and Andreas Kleboth (Kleboth Dollnig). As the monastery and church are listed buildings, the project was developed in close consultation with the Federal Monuments Office. Archaeological finds during the excavation work bear witness to the long history of the site and underscore the importance of carefully integrating new structures into the historical environment. (Text: Tobias Hagleitner, based on a text by the architects)

Together with ARKform and Riepl Riepl Photos: Andreas Balon Model photos: Kleboth and Dollnig