The social housing scheme ZIP, located on Winarskystrasse
and Hellwagstrasse, is an urban innovation, standing within the cityscape of
Vienna’s twentieth district. ZIP is a synonym for the diverse uses that the
building has and the way in which the building interlocks horizontally and
vertically, based on the principle of a zipper.
The 168m long and 16m wide roof landscape, with its
garden and leisure facilities, offer inhabitants a green oasis. The outdoor
pool, in particular, with its fantastic views, the fitness room and running
track, as well as the diverse vegetation in the rooftop garden and the
children’s play area guarantees unrivalled recreational possibilities for a
multi-storey residential building.In addition to various types of apartments,
the building also contains a social centre on the ground floor on
Winarskystrasse and a medical practice on Hellwagstrasse.
The 127 living units are accessible via a naturally
lit stairway with viewing galleries set over two-storeys and a varied selection
of comfortable homes for residents to choose from. The interlocking maisonettes
and an open, transparent base zone with entrance and playroom for children make
excellent use of the space and are structurally unique to look at. In the
maisonette area, interplay of differently sized bay windows and the use of
ventilated ceramics on the façade enhance the building’s meander pattern. With the help of the interlocking
structure and innovative use of various functional zones and materials a
succinct arrangement that optimally corresponds with residents’ needs is
achieved. Like a bridge over the city, the base zone broadens the cityscape and
through that, creates a high-quality spatial ambience between inside and out,
making ZIP a unique and desirable building in which to live and work.
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