27 Storeys documentary revisits Vienna's Alterlaa social housing

The documentary 27 Storeys, directed by Bianca Gleissinger, takes audiences back to examine Alterlaa, a massive social housing complex in Vienna, Austria, designed by the late architect Harry Glück and containing over 3,000 residential units. The film goes beyond architectural documentation, serving as a personal journey through the director's own childhood memories growing up inside the complex.

Gleissinger's investigation largely begins with grainy archival footage from her family's past, capturing scenes of her younger self and relatives eating, playing, and enjoying the promises of the building. These intimate childhood snapshots fueled her curiosity to reexamine whether the utopian promises of a well-lived life given to her back then still hold true today, as she journeys through rooftop pools, club rooms, apartments, and various amenities.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

While following a typical documentary format featuring site visits, structured interviews, B-roll, and panoramic shots, Gleissinger distinguishes her footage through long-sustained, seemingly banal shots—such as an elevator lobby, wallpaper, or a woman waiting at a pickup stop in an underground parking garage. These slow-moving scenes evoke a profound sense of familiarity, making viewers feel as though they too have inhabited the building for decades.

As Gleissinger guides viewers through the building's intricate social network, the aging demographic of Alterlaa becomes apparent. A profound sense of comfort and community sometimes verges on stubbornness and complacency. She addresses hyperbolic critiques branding the complex as one of Austria's most successful retirement homes, reframing this label not as a flaw, but as a natural facet of a complex social ecosystem.