The foyer of the Gregor Mendel House forms the transition between the courtyard, the assembly hall, and the staircase – until recently, however, it offered little quality of stay. Few seating options, poor acoustics, and the noise of several vending machines turned the area into a mere passageway. The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) therefore upgraded the space both functionally and atmospherically – transforming it into a learning area for students and a flexible setting for small events.

 

A central challenge lay in meeting fire protection requirements. Instead of installing costly fire-rated glazing, a resource-efficient solution was implemented: non-combustible furniture elements made from leftover pieces of natural stone and galvanized steel profiles – materials that would otherwise have been discarded.

 

To improve acoustics, a special plaster was applied to the vaulted ceilings. A consistent color scheme across walls and ceiling gives the room a new spatial character and visually distinguishes it from the adjacent corridor. The design was developed in close coordination with the Federal Monuments Office.

 

The result is a place for studying, waiting, meeting, and lingering – compliant with fire safety standards, resource-conscious, and with a renewed sense of spatial quality.