The two-part development concept builds on the urban qualities of the competition area. On the outer edge, the block perimeter along the junction of Landstraßer Hauptstraße and Schlachthausgasse is closed by a curved building ideally suited for a wide range of residential uses thanks to its depth of fifteen metres. The rounding of the corner follows the historical course of the wall along the Landstraßer Hauptstraße plot, with the staggered high zone of the cubage shielding the inside courtyard from traffic noise. On the courtyard side, a five-storey point block echoes the existing development structure of the “Rennweg Residential Park”, offering a wide range of dwellings with central access. The mix of flats, primarily small apartments with compact floor plans, and the resulting efficient structure of the building (load-bearing structure, access, sanitary zones, minimised arrangement of shafts) ensures a high degree of variability between the different types of flats. With the load-bearing perforated façades and inside access and core zones, the two structures have economic floor spans and direct load transfer into the foundation slab. In the street-side wing, several apartments have a “glass room” in addition to the usual free spaces associated with flats (gardens, balconies, terraces). This unheated space, but situated inside the thermal shell, can be used via a second, ceiling-to-floor, partially opening layer of glazing of simple design. With the aid of simple constructive measures, the “glass room” becomes a noise-proofed outside area.
