SOUNDPROOF WALL IN AUSTRIA
The traffic noise protection wall was built in 1995. It is located on the bypass of the city of Gmünd (Lower Austria) and consists of prefabricated concrete elements 2 meters wide with different silhouettes (straight lines, waves, cloud or bush patterns, roof shapes, house silhouettes …)
It is lined with handmade and industrial tiles, is about 400 meters long and is 3.8 meters at its highest point.
The patterns in the center show colorful, imaginative buildings, reminiscent of the real facades of the city buildings behind the main square. The wall not only protects against noise, but also brings the “hidden” city behind it to the fore and at the same time highlights its attractiveness.
On the left and right the wall ends by lowering and bears decorative designs that are either abstract (circular discs, arrows …), borrowed from Alpine rock paintings (horse with rider …) or stylized nature (trees, clouds …).
The soundproof wall in Gmünd has attracted international attention, especially in Italy and has been described in newspapers as “the most beautiful soundproof wall in Europe”. Today it is a landmark of the city of Gmünd.
