Living Space

Living Space

In addition to its use as an art and creativity space, the MuseumsQuartier represents a living space for a variety of different purposes. About forty private apartments are integrated within the complex, and it also offers a comprehensive selection of services and recreational activities that invite visitors to make themselves at home. Alongside terrace cafés, bars, shops, and relaxation zones, the MQ courtyard furniture creates a comfortable environment for spending free time or meeting with friends.

The furniture was created in 2003 as part of an idea competition for young architects organized by E+B. The Enzi courtyard furniture elements designed by the winning team, PPAG, have become Vienna's favorite lounging spot in the summer. They can be set up in various configurations and each year are painted in new colors that redefine the appearance of the courtyards and outdoor spaces in the MuseumsQuartier. Since summer 2010, the Enzis have been joined by the Enzos, which are different in design (they are hollow, unlike the first version) and in production. The MuseumQuartier's courtyard furniture was awarded the Adolf Loos Prize for Design in the category spatial design in 2005. In 2007, the MQ furniture was also nominated for the Design Prize of the Federal Republic of Germany.

All year round, various events and activities take place in the courtyards. In addition to the Sommer im MQ and Winter im MQ programs organized by MQ E+B, a free and diversified program is staged in the outdoor area throughout the year in cooperation with the MQ institutions and numerous external organizations. In summer, the focus is on fashion and design events, the O-Töne literary festival, the digital film festival frame[o]ut, DJ music, children's programs, and dance performances. In wintertime, ice pavilions, an ice curling rink, visuals, and music create a pre-Christmas atmosphere.

This is why the MuseumsQuartier is also referred to as a "third place" for visitors, a term coined by American sociologist Ray Oldenburg. He defines such places as social, public places where the emphasis is on communication and interaction. Home is a "first place" and work a "second place." The Austrian marketing expert and dramaturge Christian Mikunda praises the MQ Wien as a successful example for such a "third place" - including on an international scale.