lux Residential Building in Kabelwerk

Vienna, Austria

Photo © Hertha Hurnaus

Visualization © pool

Architects: pool Architektur

Location: Helene-Potetz-Weg 5, 1120 Vienna, Austria
Year: 2006

Lux is part of the award-winning public-housing development in the southern periphery of Vienna known as “Kabelwerk” (see description of project “Poolhaus”). The housing complex is one of three houses that we designed at “Kabelwerk” and is situated in the sensitive southern part of the premises, along the ascending main street – the “Transversale”. Lux marks the edge of the development along this public street towards a typical sprawl-like quarter in the west, thus needing not only to link the existing sub-urban development with the new quarter, but also to resolve a significant height-fissure on the site.

Our approach was to take up the given situation and use it as an opportunity for the design of the housing complex: Secondary functions with possibly public or half-public activities, like the foyer, community facilities, but also storage-rooms belonging to the apartments, bicycle storage and a shop are placed along the “Transversale”, levelling out the height fissure, creating a 50 meter long, extended multifunctional public space, that flows into the building, opening up the complex towards the existing neighbours.