After the mensa on Sonnenfelsplatz closed last year, the University of Graz and the ÖH Uni Graz student union joined forces to keep it open for students. The 900 m² “Mensa Space” is a flexible space for learning and exchange – friendly, modern, and suitable for everyday use. “We are creating an open space where students can study together and heat up food they have brought with them,” says Rector Peter Riedler, delighted with the project, which is unique in Austria in this form.
In the Mensa Space, students will find everything their hearts desire: the learning zone is equipped with around 130 seats and workstations for group work, as well as study cubicles. The adjacent lounge & food zone provides space to enjoy food brought from home in a pleasant atmosphere, which can be heated up in microwaves in the adjoining room. There are vending machines for snacks and cold and hot drinks. You can also get something to eat at the adjacent Café Famoos.
Wherever there is learning, there should also be fun. In a soundproofed gaming room, students can clear their heads with table tennis, darts, and table soccer. The barrier-free restrooms also have changing tables.
Collaboration with ÖH Uni Graz
The renovation began in fall 2025. The 24/7 learning zone can be accessed with a university card via a turnstile. What makes it special is that it was not planned over the heads of the students, but together with them. “Thanks to the close cooperation with the ÖH Uni Graz, a special place has been created that meets the needs of the students,” says Rector Riedler.
Mary Weitzer, chair of the ÖH Uni Graz, also emphasizes the good cooperation between the university and the ÖH: “Especially in times of rising living costs, we have created a place with the Mensa Space that offers students space for relaxation and new ideas, without any time or financial pressure.”
The renovation poses a special challenge for the University of Graz team. This is because the building, constructed between 1963 and 1967, is a listed building. But that is precisely what makes the Mensa Space so special: it ties in with the original idea of the architects of the “Werkgruppe Graz Eugen Gross” and creates an open space for students, as was planned back then. The graphic design by Graz artist Gernot Passath combines the iconic 1960s charm of the building with modern design.
Pictures from the opening: bilderpool.uni-graz.at/s/GbsNzEppsAC42Jm