Project team: Brandlhuber+ Emde, Burlon / Muck Petzet Architekten

The multi-purpose studio and gallery building, located in Berlin-Wedding, combines various forms of use. Although the area does not have a binding development plan, a 1958 ordinance only allows the construction of commercial buildings. At the same time, an ongoing grandfather clause ensures that the area remains essentially a residential area. In this context, the special status allows the construction of a new building that serves as a commercial property but could become a residential location in the future. The project deals with the unique qualities of the site. The building is intended to bring about a typological update of the adjacent buildings: a typical apartment from 1900 and a climbing hall. The location is on the S-Bahn line and offers a wide view to the south. The levels of the building are staggered, creating a ziggurat-like form with six-metre-deep terraces on each floor and maximised semi-public space on the ground floor that would otherwise have been closed. The relocation of the basement floors to the south creates a 7.50-metre-deep, covered sidewalk that serves as a semi-public square in front of the gallery space on the ground floor. The depth of the units varies from 26 meters at ground level to 11 meters at the highest level. In this sense, the program of the devices is based on the depth of the soil and thus on the amount of light. Two rear external staircases connect the different floors via the terraces and aim at a shared and public use of the outdoor spaces by the users, leading to a common public attic space. Neither the roof nor the terraces have additional drainage. Therefore, all surfaces are slightly inclined to drain the water onto the garden like a cascade. Built entirely of concrete, exterior and interior spaces are perceived equally, allowing users to open their apartments to the terraces through floor-to-ceiling doors. The expansion standard follows the logic of indeterminacy: only the technical connections and sanitary facilities are pre-installed. The latter is part of the two concrete cores that also house the elevators that go from the ground floor to the top of the roof, as well as all the technical services. The 5.7-metre-long step profile forms units of different sizes.

The building was initiated by Olivia Reynolds, who, together with Elke Falat, founded Lobe Block (Gmbh), which designs, builds and operates the Terrassenhaus Berlin / Lobe Block. Today, the block is home to a diverse mix of people and companies: from the creative industries and social institutions to gastronomy and leisure.

Source: brandlhuber.com (translated from English)
Pictures: Erica Overmeer, Hisao Suzuki