Another high-rise building in the Mediaspree district has been handed over to its future occupants. Located near the Edge East Side Tower Berlin and directly adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Arena, the 97-meter-tall Stream tower—comprising 24 stories—has been delivered to Zalando. The building complements the ensemble surrounding the arena and fills one of the last remaining development sites in the district.

In 2017, Berlin-based architects Gewers Pudewill won the invited design competition – and almost exactly five years later, the high-rise tower is complete and ready to come to life. On the exterior, it resembles a sculpture composed of barely perceptible exposed concrete bands and glass. Standing freely and visible from all sides, it can be appreciated from nearby vantage points such as the Warschauer Brücke. The individual floors are slightly offset from one another, creating open areas at the corners that serve as terraces. The architects explain their material choices for the building envelope as follows: "The deliberate reduction of materials to concrete and glass lends the structure both clarity and a certain intentional severity, which enters into dialogue with the creative and urban environment of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain." Up to the seventh floor, the building is executed as a uniform base. From the next level upward, the structure steps back and tapers into a more slender tower. Floors 8 through 24 are stacked in alternating offset layers. Beginning in the base, the glass walls fold slightly inward or outward. This creates a rhythmic play of regular projections and recesses. The transparency of the glass facade affords interior views extending far across the cityscape in all directions. Terraces on all levels on the western and southwestern sides of the tower are ideal for outdoor breaks or even working outside.

The clarity of the facade continues throughout the interior. The central core, housing elevators and stairwells, is finished in exposed concrete, with floors laid in black-and-white terrazzo. Only the elevators stand out, featuring surprising colors and finishes. Open stairways connect every two floors. The first upper floor accommodates a conference area for up to 600 people. With a total gross floor area of 50,000 m², the building provides approximately 2,500 workstations. The work areas are flexibly designed – available as open, loft-like office landscapes or as enclosed individual offices. Overall, a relaxed and welcoming work atmosphere has been created, one well-suited to tenant Zalando.

www.gewers-pudewill.de

Photography Credits:

HG Esch
www.hgesch.de

(Featured in CUBE Berlin 04|22)