The new magdas Hotel is located in the prestigious Prater area, close to the famous park. It is housed in a 1960s retirement home. The money for the renovation was raised through the Catholic charity Caritas and crowdfunding. Only 1.5 million euros were enough to implement the project, while its level is consistent with the idea of a good modern hotel. Still, this is not an ordinary hotel.
Building area 6460 m2. In addition to 78 rooms with a beautiful view of the Prater Park, there are two residential blocks in which 25 young refugees from different countries of the world will settle. Most of them will become employees of the hotel, and before that they were directly involved in its construction. The lobby with the bar and restaurant located on the ground floor thus becomes a large living room, a place where the permanent residents of the "house" and its guests meet.
The architects retained the main "box" of the old building, only repaired it and modernized the engineering systems. The interior concept was built on calm - muted, light colors, but included active, attention-grabbing elements: for example, they applied an interesting repeating ornament to the walls using a special carved roller. Furniture was collected bit by bit from a variety of sources: they used the one that was preserved in the nursing home, some bought in a shop owned by Caritas, and some other items were brought by local residents. For example, tables, bedside tables and hangers were made from old built-in wardrobes. And desks from the New University of Design in St. Pölten (Alles WirdGut recently built a new building for it) found their place in the lobby and restaurant of the hotel.
In addition to the desire to save money, which is quite expected from the European society, to support the infinitely correct ideas of tolerance and social responsibility of business, the project broadcasts a powerful positive charge. It is no coincidence that the phrase "Everything will be fine!" the architects brought it into the name of their bureau. Everything sounds and looks really promising and very noble, but whether the idea will justify the hopes placed on it, whether confident local residents who have lost all lonely refugees and quite prosperous guests of Vienna can help each other in the next couple of years.
