Description
The hybrid building is conceived as an interface for a variety of different uses. Ground floor and basement with an inserted light well accommodate retail and event areas. The 2nd and 3rd floors above contain two-story work/live studios. The mixed-use housing in this “urban plinth” is aimed at promoting the formation of local structures, social integration and cooperation within and outside of the building.
From the 4th floor onward, the building is distinguished by a highly differentiated spatial structure, creating flexible units with the character of a very unique “house within a house.” The varying floor heights – on both the courtyard and the street elevation – as well as the cascading offset levels parallel to the facades, create complex unit types with up to four different levels.
The internal room sequences border onto the stairwell – either on two or on three sides – and simultaneously connect with different floor and mezzanine landings, making it possible to subdivide the units. The separable units can be rented out, utilized for multigenerational living or as home offices, and also serve as small flats for caregivers or in-house help.
On the narrow, south-facing courtyard side, ceilings soar up to 4.3 m: above the kitchens, the space on this side of the building includes a gallery for use as a library or an additional open space. A guest apartment is available in the attic story, while the roof patio serves as a common outdoor space.
Drawings
Floor plan diagram, scale 1:500
Site plan
Floor plans of ground floor, 2nd floor, scale 1:500
3rd floor: work/live studios with axonometric view, A, scale 1:200
4th floor: apartment B with axonometric view, scale 1:200
5th floor: apartments C and D with axonometric view, scale 1:200
6th floor: apartments D and E with axonometric view, scale 1:200
7th floor: apartment E with axonometric view, scale 1:200
8th floor: apartment F with axonometric view, scale 1:200
Cross and longitudinal sections, scale 1:500
Axonometric view of the various apartment volumes and their composition
Photos
Street façade
Split-level apartment interior
Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fourth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2011.