UNI - Housing Universumstrasse

Wien, Austria

Photo © Gerner Gerner Plus. | Matthias Raiger

Apartment Buildings

Architects: GERNER GERNER PLUS

Location: Universumstraße, 1200 Wien, Austria
Year: 2014

Living in the Universe

The residential building with fifty apartments, primarily investment units, was cut to fit precisely into the nearly square building gap. Its middle element docks directly into the niche between the two neighboring structures, sets its two wings diagonally into the property, and frames out a spacious green area.

With its u-shaped outline, the building makes optimal use of the lot’s surface area and also enables optimized lighting of all apartments. Each of the units (fifty to ninety-five m²) has an open area in the form of a balcony, loggia, or rooftop terrace. Despite the location near Dresdner Straße, convenient in terms of transportation, the site is very quiet due to its orientation toward the less frequented parallel street.

With its jagged façade, the project makes a reference to the adjacent development. The deep cuts of the loggias lend lightness to the building. As a whole, the volume appears varied and dynamic with its asymmetrical form, three-dimensional structure, and blazing colors.

The flush, recessed ground floor forms the base for the main building volume resting above, which is clearly set off by a strip of skylights serving as seam. The spacious open areas offer a site for communication and relaxation, and together with the bordering properties, a shared island of green emerges.