History of the Vienna International Centre
In 1966, Austria proposed building an international centre to attract United Nations agencies to Vienna. A riverside site along the Danube was designated the following year, and architect Johann Staber won the design competition. Construction ran from 1973 to 1979, realized under the vision of Austrian Chancellor Dr. Bruno Kreisky, and the complex was officially inaugurated on 23 August 1979.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), present in Vienna since 1957, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), based there since 1967, became the VIC's anchor tenants. UNRWA was also temporarily headquartered at the VIC until 1997, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) was established there in March 1997. Together with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other bodies, these organizations form the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).
Architecturally, the VIC is instantly recognizable: six Y-shaped office towers surround a cylindrical conference building, spread across roughly 230,000 square metres of floor area. The tallest tower, Building A, rises 127 metres over 28 floors and was among Austria's first modern skyscrapers. The M Building conference facility opened in 2009, and the complex connects via an indoor link to the neighbouring Austria Center Vienna, which can host up to 6,000 people.
Today, around 5,000 people work at the VIC — diplomats from all 193 UN Member States and staff from more than 150 countries. It is one of just four major UN hubs worldwide, alongside New York, Geneva and Nairobi, and is home to eight major UN bodies including the IAEA, UNIDO, UNODC and CTBTO. The VIC has been climate-neutral since 2015.
How to Reach the VIC
The Vienna International Centre is located at Wagramer Straße 5, 1220 Vienna, Austria — in the Donaustadt district across the Danube, about seven minutes from the city centre.
🚇 By U-Bahn (recommended)
Take the U1 subway line toward Leopoldau and exit at "Kaisermühlen / Vienna International Centre" station. The visitor entrance (Gate 1) is directly beside the station.
🚌 By Coach
Coaches may service Wagramer Straße 5 directly, subject to arrangement.
🚗 By Car
Limited paid private parking is available at the neighbouring Austria Center Vienna.