Urban landscapes shift remarkably fast in some quarters. What occupied this corner of Genthinerstraße and Kurfürstenstraße before? Nothing—the site had languished vacant for decades. Today, the Schoenegarten building complex seamlessly completes the perimeter block as though it had stood there from the beginning. Designed by Tschoban Voss Architects, this residential quarter spans 7,200 m² and accommodates an estimated 300 to 400 residents across 182 apartments ranging from one to four rooms, with unit sizes between 46 and 146 m².

The neighbourhood's name merges the two districts it bridges: Schöneberg and Tiergarten—hence "Schoenegarten." The location in old West Berlin is unbeatable: mere steps from Nollendorfplatz, with KaDeWe and the Kurfürstendamm—that pivotal hub west of the Wall—just minutes away. The rectangular perimeter encloses a verdant courtyard, composed of 14 seamlessly connected buildings that reveal their individuality through varied street-facing façades. This design strategy prevents the substantial volume from feeling monolithic; instead, it reads as a carefully composed ensemble. Raw concrete and wood formwork textures play against smooth exposed concrete and finely finished travertine surfaces, while clinker cladding showcases multiple colour and pattern combinations. This façade variety harmonizes beautifully with the neighbourhood's eclectic streetscape. Ground-floor retail further anchors the project's urban character. Projecting balconies on the west and south elevations—some stacked in alignment, others offset—reinforce this house-by-house aesthetic. This is the design's urbane intelligence: a single unified façade for such mass would have disrupted the district's delicate character. The complex succeeds by layering materials and finishes thoughtfully. Interior courtyard facades maintain uniform plaster in a single tone. The landscape design by Berlin-based KuBuS Landschaftsarchitektur deserves recognition for creating a park-like sanctuary within: a central lawn encircled by pathways, diverse plantings along the building edges, and on the north and east sides, ground-floor terraces with intimate gardens combining trees, shrubs, and play spaces.

www.tchobanvoss.de

Photography:
Klemens Renner
www.klemensrenner.com
Ilya Ivanov
www.photoivanov.com

(Published in CUBE Berlin 01|25)