Description

The complex of six apparently identical buildings that the Berlin architecture office zanderrotharchitekten has designed for the former brewery site on the border between Berlin’s Pankow and Prenzlauer Berg districts is unusual. With the dense block structure of the late 19th century on one side and the fragmented urban landscape of the 20th century on the other, the new, seven-storey buildings are so deep that it seems unlikely that they could possibly serve the same function as the Wilhelminian blocks, the interwar housing blocks, those of GDR times or of the 1990s that constitute the disparate surroundings of the site (of which the pentagonal block by Erwin Gutkind built in 1926 at the bend in the Thulestraße is probably the most prominent). But great depth alone – and thus little enveloping space – is not a unique selling proposition in today’s housing market. Zanderroth have achieved remarkably efficient layouts where more than 8 of every 10 m² is rentable floor area, and in the process have improved upon the quotient in their earlier project on Liebigstraße in the Friedrichshain district. Despite, or maybe because of this extreme degree of economy, the architects have been able to incorporate a full-height atrium that is something of a novelty in Berlin’s housing schemes. The rather hotel-like hall makes it possible for the corridors to the 12 units per floor (another number that is now increasingly being found in Berlin) to receive light from above, and opens up views from one floor to the next.

The staircase counts as one of the escape routes with the second located in a less spectacular enclosed stairwell. The advantage here is that the fire brigade does not need to place ladders up against the façade in the event of a fire, meaning that the outdoor areas are not marred by roadways and can become a real garden on the large, shared underground car park. The garden accounts for 11,000 of the total 17,000 m² of the site and is also accessible to locals outside the complex. As there are no plans to turn the complex into a gated community and the large buildings are placed freely within the site, the gardens are immediately visible from the surroundings and can benefit the wider neighbourhood.

In a more central location, the freestanding placement of buildings would not have been such an appropriate solution, even when one doesn’t subscribe to the 19th century model as a solution to all urban problems. For this transitional location, however, the approach seems just right, especially given the generous size of the open space, not just when seen from its surroundings but also from inside the flats or from the balconies. The next house is far enough away to not feel overlooked, and the offset arrangement also reveals views past the neighbours and through into the depths of the site, making diagonal relationships apparent.

This surrounding garden will one day also continue upwards from the first floor: Zanderroth have included no fewer than 2460 deep planting troughs on the perimeter balconies. These future “vertical gardens”, some of which expand into loggias, are the second special feature of the project. The architects would like the residents to engage with and foster a lively neighbourhood and consequently there are no external separations between one unit and the next. One can walk around an entire floor, though this idea risks falling victim to the individual residents’ desire for privacy. This will, however, have little effect on the impression of the ensemble.

The hoped-for sense of community that the lush planting aims to encourage is given added impetus through the mix of apartments. Contrary to the trends towards small second homes, these blocks contain floor plans suitable for families. In addition, the modular construction of the blocks makes it possible to also combine units. Each house has 66 flats ranging from 1.5 room flats with 43 m² to five room units with roof terrace that are 209 m². The majority, however (88 of 100) are medium sized with two and three rooms. This variance makes it possible for a range of lifestyles and age groups to live together. That the mix also includes people in different income brackets should not be forgotten, although it is now rarely expected of modern-day housing developments.

Originally published in Bauwelt 17.2020, pp. 26-29, abridged and edited for Building Types online, translated by Julian Reisenberger

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