Office Building at Schinkelplatz, Berlin Read more

On a historically sensitive site opposite the new Berlin City Palace, residential and commercial buildings are to be constructed in Berlin’s characteristic block structure. The office building rounds off the block with a finely detailed, punctuated facade toward the Neuer Kommandantur (New Commandant’s Office). The building clearly displays its contemporary origins and reacts to its historical surroundings in a complex way. The whitewashed facade is furnished with a relief that is reminiscent of historical ground floors, which with each floor increases in subtlety and is articulated by cornices. The windows sit in contoured concrete frames and have smooth borders that merge flush into the facade’s relief texture. Similarly, the reveals of the vertically divided windows and the width of their borders decrease with each floor, which results in a larger percentage of glass. Set back deep in the facade, glazed downlights highlight the variance between the floors and allow for an undisturbed view of Schinkelplatz. On the ground floor, the concept of the window elements is reversed. The large French doors are flush with the interior whereas the transom window is almost flush with the facade. The interplay of these details leads to a carefully wrought, lively facade, which confidently integrates itself into it’s environment.