Waagner Biro
Encyclopedia
Waagner-Biro is a Vienna, Austria-based corporation which owns companies in steel
and mechanical engineering
. It has about 1000 employees in 14 locations in Europe
, Asia
, and the Middle East
.
Waagner Biro Stahlbau Group has divisions in steel
and glass
engineering and bridge
construction.
Waagner-Biro Stage Systems Group is a major manufacturer of stage equipment.
Waagner-Biro Gulf deals with infrastructure
.
Qualter, Hall & Co Ltd. builds bridges and also deals with mechanical engineering and contract manufacturing.
granted Rudolph Philipp Waagner an "Iron
trade authorisation". That same year, Anton Biró and Albert Milde & Co. merged. The company first used the name Waagner-Biro in 1924.
In 1906, the company provided the Vienna State Opera
with stage equipment. Forty years later, the company rebuilt the opera house's roof. Other roof projects include Vienna's Stephansdom in 1948, the Munich
Olympic
facilities in 1969, the Prater Stadium in Vienna in 1985, and the Reichstag dome
in Berlin
, for which the company won a European Steel Design award in 1999. Waagner-Biro won another award in 2003 for the British Museum
's Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
.
Between 1910 and 1932, the company completed Schweden Bridge, Floridsdorf Bridge, Frieden Bridge, Augarten Bridge, and other bridges in Vienna. Other bridges built by Waagner-Biro include Europa Bridge in Innsbruck, Austria in 1962, North Bridge in Vienna in 1964, and bridges over the Danube River in the Vienna districts of Floridsdorf
in 1979 and Brigittenau
in 1980.
In 1960, Waagner-Biro worked on stage engineering for Sydney Opera
. The Waagner-Biro process for cooling and quenching hot coke
was introduced in the 1970s.
In 1982, the Dubai
branch office opened. In 2000, Waagner-Biro Gulf LLC was established.
In 2003, the stage engineering companies went under the name Stage Systems.
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. It has about 1000 employees in 14 locations in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Businesses
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
engineering and bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
construction.
Waagner-Biro Stage Systems Group is a major manufacturer of stage equipment.
Waagner-Biro Gulf deals with infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
.
Qualter, Hall & Co Ltd. builds bridges and also deals with mechanical engineering and contract manufacturing.
History
On October 16, 1854, the Vienna city magistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
granted Rudolph Philipp Waagner an "Iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
trade authorisation". That same year, Anton Biró and Albert Milde & Co. merged. The company first used the name Waagner-Biro in 1924.
In 1906, the company provided the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
with stage equipment. Forty years later, the company rebuilt the opera house's roof. Other roof projects include Vienna's Stephansdom in 1948, the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
facilities in 1969, the Prater Stadium in Vienna in 1985, and the Reichstag dome
Reichstag dome
The current Reichstag dome is a glass dome constructed on top of the rebuilt Reichstag building in Berlin. It was designed by architect Norman Foster and built to symbolize the reunification of Germany...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, for which the company won a European Steel Design award in 1999. Waagner-Biro won another award in 2003 for the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
's Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
Queen Elizabeth II Great Court
The central quadrangle of the British Museum in London was redeveloped to a design by Foster and Partners, from a 1970s design by Colin St John Wilson, to become the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, commonly referred to simply as the Great Court, during the late 1990s...
.
Between 1910 and 1932, the company completed Schweden Bridge, Floridsdorf Bridge, Frieden Bridge, Augarten Bridge, and other bridges in Vienna. Other bridges built by Waagner-Biro include Europa Bridge in Innsbruck, Austria in 1962, North Bridge in Vienna in 1964, and bridges over the Danube River in the Vienna districts of Floridsdorf
Floridsdorf
Floridsdorf is the 21st district of Vienna, Austria .Floridsdorf is located in the northern part of Vienna.The District Office and the centre of Floridsdorf are located round Am Spitz, at the junction of Prager Straße and Brünner Straße .Since 2004, Floridsdorf has had its own tower: the...
in 1979 and Brigittenau
Brigittenau
Brigittenau is the 20th District of Vienna . It is located north of the central districts, north of Leopoldstadt on the same island area between the Danube and the Danube Canal...
in 1980.
In 1960, Waagner-Biro worked on stage engineering for Sydney Opera
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
. The Waagner-Biro process for cooling and quenching hot coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
was introduced in the 1970s.
In 1982, the Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
branch office opened. In 2000, Waagner-Biro Gulf LLC was established.
In 2003, the stage engineering companies went under the name Stage Systems.