HQ7 Studios

HQ7 Studios is a film and television production studio complex located at Haidequerstraße 7 in Vienna-Simmering, Austria. It opened in October 2024 and, at the time of completion, was the largest film studio in Austria. The facility is owned by Hafen Wien, a company of the municipal Wien Holding group, and is operated by the purpose-founded HQ7 Studios GmbH. The name derives from its address, 7 Haidequerstraße. The studio was developed to fill a gap left by the closure of the traditional Rosenhügel Studios in 2014, after which Viennese film productions had to rely on makeshift quarters in converted warehouses. By the early 2020s, demand for large, capable film studios in Vienna had grown again. On 14 December 2022, the Vienna city correspondence announced that new film studios with around 3,300 m² of usable space would be built in Simmering, next to the Simmering power plant. The land had been acquired in 2017. The €9.9 million project was financed largely by Hafen Wien and the newly created HQ7 Studios GmbH as operator. Hafen Wien, as owner, built the two studio halls designed by the architectural firm Haas & Haas according to the operator's requirements. The topping-out ceremony was reported on 25 October 2023, and completion, originally targeted for spring 2024, was delayed until autumn of that year. HQ7 Studios offers two sound stages: Stage 1 with 2,000 m² of surface and a height of 12.5 m, and Stage 2 with 1,000 m² and the same height. The stages feature full grids of 72 x 28 m and 35 x 28 m respectively. In addition to the stages, the complex provides 2,000 m² of ancillary office and workshop space, fixed sets including a pathology unit, hospital unit and surgery room, as well as infrastructure, catering, pop-up venues, a community room, location scouting, funding consultancy and a strong partner network. The studios are designed for national and international film projects, with a focus on medium-sized productions with manageable crew requirements. Strategically located in the heart of Europe, HQ7 Studios offers easy access to Vienna's city center, airport, central station and key landmarks, as well as to trains, airports and car routes across Europe. The site is surrounded by nature, lakes and mountains, and Vienna's reputation as the world's most livable city is highlighted as an advantage for crews and talent. Austria's filming locations, from high mountain peaks and deep lakes to modern architecture next to historical buildings, are promoted as part of the offering. A new incentive of 30% cash back plus a 5% green production bonus is advertised to attract productions. Several service providers, such as Arri Rental, have already established themselves in the vicinity of the studios, and the nearby Jori Studios provide a permanent set for hospital and pathology shoots. The project manager, Anu Shankar, stated that the studios would concentrate on medium-sized productions with modest personnel needs, responding to criticism from director Robert Dornhelm, who considered the studios too small and preferred to shoot in Budapest.

HQ7 Studios was created to address the lack of large, modern film production facilities in Vienna after the closure of the traditional Rosenhügel Studios in 2014. Those studios were largely demolished in the following years, forcing film productions to use makeshift quarters in converted warehouses. By the early 2020s, demand for large and capable film studios in Vienna had grown again. On 14 December 2022, the Vienna city correspondence (Wiener Rathauskorrespondenz) announced that new film studios with a total usable area of around 3,300 m² would be built at 7 Haidequerstraße in Simmering, hence the name HQ7, in the immediate vicinity of the Simmering power plant. The building land had already been acquired in 2017. The €9.9 million project was financed largely by Hafen Wien, a company of Wien Holding, and by the specially founded HQ7 Studios GmbH as operator. Hafen Wien, as owner, constructed the two studio halls designed by the architectural firm Haas & Haas according to the operator's wishes. The studios serve as a location for national and international film projects. In addition to two sound stages with 2,000 m² and 1,000 m² of floor space and an internal height of 13 m, they also offer rentable production offices, prop and costume stores, storage rooms, as well as dressing rooms and makeup rooms. Project manager Anu Shankar stated that the focus would be on medium-sized productions with manageable personnel requirements, responding to a remark by Robert Dornhelm, who already considered the studios too small and preferred to go to Budapest. Several service providers such as Arri Rental have already settled in the vicinity of the studios, and the nearby Jori Studios provide a permanent set for hospital and pathology shoots. On 25 October 2023, Wien Holding reported the topping-out of the halls. Completion, originally targeted for spring 2024, was delayed until autumn of that year. The studios were completed in October 2024 and were the largest film studios in Austria at the time of completion.

• Traditional Rosenhügel Studios close and are largely demolished in the following years, creating a gap in Vienna's film production infrastructure.

• The building land for the new studios in Simmering is acquired.

• Vienna city correspondence announces the construction of new film studios with around 3,300 m² of usable space at 7 Haidequerstraße in Simmering.

• Wien Holding reports the topping-out of the two studio halls.

• HQ7 Studios are completed, becoming the largest film studios in Austria at the time of completion.

State-of-the-art film and TV production studios in Vienna, targeting national and international medium-sized productions with a focus on convenience, flexibility and work-life balance.

• Stage 1

  2,000 m² sound stage with 12.5 m height and a full grid of 72 x 28 m.

• Stage 2

  1,000 m² sound stage with 12.5 m height and a full grid of 35 x 28 m.

• Ancillary office and workshop space

  2,000 m² of ancillary office and workshop space.

• Fixed sets

  Pathology, hospital unit and surgery room sets.

• Additional services

  Infrastructure, catering, pop-up venues, community room, location scouting, funding consultancy and a strong partner network.

1. 1hq7 studioshq7studios.com
2. 2Services | hq7 studioshq7studios.com
3. 3HQ7 Studios - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4HQ7 Studios - Wikidatawikidata.org