Austria’s historic parliament building reopens with PEFC-certified furniture

13 March 2023 Certification on the ground

In January, Austria’s historic parliament building officially reopened after several years of renovation. The offices are now equipped with modern, PEFC-certified furniture.

Austrian furniture manufacturer Bene won the tender to furnish the offices, thanks in part to its sustainable approach towards wood.

After almost five years of renovation and modernisation, the Parliament reopened its doors on 12 January and welcomed numerous guests in the following days.

In addition to the redesigned National Council meeting room and the room of the Federal Council, also the offices in the building received new furniture. Bene's furnishings, including cabinets and height-adjustable desks, are all PEFC certified. The dark grey oak veneer has an effect that is both noble and discreet, supporting calm and concentrated work.

"A major package within the framework of the building renovation was, of course, the procurement of new furniture," explains Karl-Heinz Grundböck, spokesman for the Parliamentary Administration, and highlights the importance of sustainability.

"Parliament is about shaping the future for the community. Sustainability is also about the future, to secure our current living conditions also for future generations," he says.

Focussing on sustainability and regionality, Manfred Huber, Managing Director of Bene GmbH, is pleased about the symbolic order.

"We like to set a good example and take responsibility for future generations. Therefore, it is a matter of course for us to use products made from sustainable raw materials and sustainable production for the Parliament's offices."

Based in Waidhofen/Ybbs in Lower Austria, Bene has been manufacturing furniture since 1790 and obtained PEFC certification in 2009.

The company is closely linked to the region and fully committed to a transparent value chain from the forest to the product. Thanks to these ambitions, Bene won PEFC Austria’s 2021 Sustainability Award in the category "CoC - Chain of Custody".

The video by PEFC Austria, shows the journey of the wood all the way to the Parliament.

Photos (c) PEFC Austria_Peter Zeschitz