Student accommodation with a distinctive identity in Munich-Giesing

Living space is in short supply – a problem that affects students in particular, especially in popular university cities like Munich. To meet high demand, a privately funded student accommodation was built on a relatively small plot. A particular challenge of the project was its location. Situated directly on Munich’s busy ring road, the Mittlerer Ring, the goal was to build high-quality accommodation with useable outdoor space. The solution: suspended balcony loggias that can be flexibly opened and closed using all-glass slide-and-turn elements. 

Architect Jürgen Seifert met the challenges of the city-centre location with a distinctive urban building block. The high-quality urban reconstruction project closes a previously open gap on the street corner. The relief-like facade design with distinctive balcony loggias makes the location extremely recognisable. The residential building comprises 65 individual apartments with an area of 18 to 37 m², of which a third are wheelchair-accessible. Student social life is supported by spacious common areas. 

Filigree glazing with sound insulation

All-glass slide-and-turn elements from Solarlux’s Proline T system ensure maximum daylight and effective sound insulation in the balcony loggias. These are combined with framed fixed glazing to serve as balustrade elements, enabling extremely slim profile sight lines. When the sliding glass surfaces are closed, the necessary air circulation is provided through a narrow three-millimetre gap between the individual segments.

The system is easy to use and follows the slide-and-turn principle: each glass element runs along a guide rail at the top and bottom, slides left and right, and rotates inwards 90 degrees. This allows them to be parked to one side in an unobtrusive glass bundle.

On the sides of the all-glass cubes, the glazing can also be folded open all the way up to the wall of the building – creating outdoor areas with open corners. The architect intentionally chose the Proline T for its filigree look: “The vertical frameless glazing is beautifully slim. I have used the slide-and-turn system multiple times before – it is well proportioned and offers impressive sound insulation. For me, it’s about elegant, flexible solutions that promote openness and wellbeing, instead of hermetically closing off the space.”