On a corner lot of approximately 464 m² situated between Greifswalder Straße and Heinrich-Roller-Straße in Prenzlauer Berg, a striking new office building has emerged. Its façade, characterized by full-height square grid structures in light precast concrete elements, creates a lively and expressive aesthetic, establishing a prominent visual anchor at the corner. The building encompasses six full stories with flexible interior configurations. Tenants have the flexibility to create open-plan offices, individual offices, conference rooms, meeting spaces, or coworking environments. The top floor is set back approximately 1.60 m from the street façade, providing a restful and clearly defined closure to the building. The roof area is accessed via the fifth floor and can be partially utilized as a terrace. The building also includes a basement level housing parking spaces for cars and bicycles, as well as technical facilities.

Designed as a modern office and business center, the new building adheres to the building line along the street front. Toward the inner courtyard, the structure recedes in a more restrained manner. The façades are finished as rendered surfaces with continuous ribbon windows and metal railings. In the courtyard, the new building extends to the party walls of neighboring structures, optimizing the buildable depth. To comply with setback requirements, the fourth and fifth floors are also stepped back on the courtyard side.

The street façade at ground level features large-format insulated glazing. Above this, the façade from the first through fourth floor rises in a square grid pattern. The grid lines are articulated through twisted pillars and floor slab bands, creating an organically flowing composition. Rather than presenting a strictly geometric effect, the façade grid reads as loose and ornamental in character. In their design approach, the architects avoid both historical pastiche and the formal monotony commonly seen in contemporary urban infill projects. They remain committed to modernist principles while imparting greater lightness through a more relaxed handling of form. The foyer also contributes to this atmospheric quality, accessed from Heinrich-Roller-Straße. Visitors are welcomed by integrated ceiling-mounted light strips and artworks displayed within illuminated display cases.

www.tchobanvoss.de

(Originally published in CUBE Berlin 01|20)