St. Nikolaus / Kadawittfeldarchitektur

Architects: Kadawittfeldarchitektur
Location: Neumarkt, Austria
Project Manager: Stefan Haass
Client: Gemeindeverband Neumarkt am Wallersee
Area: 4,300 sqm
Photographs: Margherita Spiluttini, Fritz Lorber

In comparison to a small city, this home for the elderly provides its inhabitants a lively environment through its sequence of passages and places including a foyer, “interior streets,” a green atrium, dining room, and terraced courtyard.

The house is entered by a central main hall which creates a semi-public space, connecting the two living tracts. The building structure provides both an overview and efficient paths, guaranteeing that the service personnel are provided optimal working conditions and that the inhabitants are able to orientate themselves within the versatile space without having to relinquish any of its pleasant atmosphere.

The relationship of tension between glass and wood, inside and outside, public openness and private intimacy mirrors the life of its senior citizens: the house becomes a protective shell that consciously filters and enables the public space so that it is integrated into the surroundings.