“How many dwelling places there would be, fitted one into the other, if we were to realize in detail, and in their hierarchical order, all the images by means of which we live our daydreams of intimacy “. Gaston Bachelard, The poetics of Space, 1964

Vienna is a city rich in diverse residential configurations, from the classic “Altbau” apartments and the superblocks of Red Vienna to the “city within a city” typology; from big settlements “Siedlungen” to the more recent “Quartierhaus” typology. However, if we delve deeper, we notice that within these typologies lie layers upon layers. Just as in the “city within a city” concept, there are homes within houses, houses within apartments, individuals within neighbourhoods, neighbourhoods within communities. If we look at it even more closely, we will find houses atop buildings, liveliness beneath designated living spaces, and work occurring within those designated living spaces.

We will notice that these phenomena are precisely the things we often cannot plan ahead; they unfold more organically and are invariably shaped by the presence of the individual. This term, we will explore these two poles: the individual versus the collective, super subjectivity versus neutrality ─ the dissolution of typologies.

“This dream house may be merely a dream of ownership, the embodiment of everything that is considered convenient, comfortable, healthy, sound, desirable, by other people. It must therefore satisfy both pride and reason, two irreconcilable terms”. Gaston Bachelard, The poetics of Space, 1964

Both formally and functionally, we will explore different typologies and seek recipes for better living in the future, where some degree of elasticity in the dwelling will be unavoidable. This elasticity should operate both functionally and spatially, sometimes extending beyond logic to achieve coherence.

As part of the curation and design of the Austrian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2025 by Michael Obrist, Sabine Pollak and Lorenzo Romito, various design studios will open up a thinking space around the “Agency for Better Living”, in which various relevant topics relating to these housing issues will be explored together with the students.