A striking new office building has been constructed on the approximately 464 m² corner plot between Greifswalder Strasse and Heinrich-Roller-Strasse in Prenzlauer Berg. Its façade with its storey-high, square lattice structure made of light-colored architectural precast concrete elements has a lively, expressive effect and sets a highlight on the corner. The building comprises six full storeys with flexible use. Tenants can set up open-plan and individual offices, conference and meeting rooms or co-working spaces. The top, fifth floor is set back by around 1.60 m on the street side and forms a calm, clear end to the building. The roof area is accessed via the fifth floor and can be partially used as a terrace. There is also a basement level with parking spaces for cars and bicycles as well as technical rooms.

The new building, used as a modern office business center, follows the building line on the street side. In the inner courtyard, the building is restrained in terms of design. The façades are designed as rendered façades with surrounding ribbon windows with metal railings. In the courtyard, the new building adjoins the fire walls of the neighboring buildings, making use of the maximum building depth. The fourth and fifth storeys are also set back on the courtyard side in order to comply with the spacing requirements.

The street façade on the first floor consists of large-format insulating glazing. Above this, from the first to the fourth floor, the façade is built up in a square grid. The lines of the grid are designed as twisted pillars and floor slab bands, creating an organic, flowing fabric. The effect of the façade grid is not strictly geometric, but loose and ornamental. With their design, the architects neither take refuge in historicism nor do they use the formal monotony that can be observed in many new inner-city buildings today. They adhere to the principles of modernism, but lend them more lightness through a relaxed approach to the forms. The foyer, which is accessed from Heinrich-Roller-Straße, also offers atmosphere. Visitors are greeted by strip lighting integrated into the ceiling and works of art in the backlit display cases.

www.tchobanvoss.de

(Published in CUBE Berlin 01|20)