Renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano designed an impressive four-storey parking structure along the Schöneberger Ufer, directly across from Potsdamer Platz. At nearly 200 metres long, the garage featured three distinctive barrel-vaulted buildings flanking its entrance and exit. Completed in 2000, the facility was generously proportioned in anticipation of heavy traffic from the adjacent 6.8-hectare Potsdamer Platz development. Reality proved different: actual parking demand fell short of 50 percent. To reimagine the site, an invitational competition drew eight finalist proposals, each tasked with transforming the structure into residential space.

The garage sits between the S-Bahn tracks to the east and green space to the west. The competition brief called for demolishing the western half of the structure, then converting the freed land for residential use.

KSP Engel's winning concept repositions the structure, solving issues of single-sided light and ventilation while creating dynamic spatial tension between old and new—an experience residents now enjoy daily. The result: a six-storey complex stretching 185 metres and divided into four residential buildings, thoughtfully staggered to avoid casting shadows on one another. This measured offset creates a dynamic yet orderly urban edge facing the park. The development contains 178 homes—from compact studios to spacious four-room apartments, maisonettes, and penthouses with roof terraces. All units face west toward the verdant Gleispark. Accessible via colonnaded galleries flanking planted courtyards, these gardens serve double duty as light wells for east-facing rooms and stairwells, fostering spontaneous resident interaction. Climbing plants soften the rear wall facing the remaining parking structure. Completed in 2020, the project is now nearly fully occupied or sold.

Buildings 1 and 2 offer rental apartments—furnished or unfurnished, sized for singles or couples. Buildings 3 and 4 house owner-occupied condominiums ranging from 25 to 178 m² with 2.80-metre ceiling heights. Every unit features oak flooring and full-width balconies. A striking detail: the balcony railings vary in depth, visually echoing and amplifying the façade's dynamic rhythm. Basements throughout accommodate 72 parking spaces and 250 bicycle racks. This development exemplifies creative densification at its finest. Beyond revitalizing the site itself, it has enhanced both the surrounding infrastructure and the adjacent Gleisdreieck park.

www.ksp-engel.com

Photography Credits:

Adrian Schulz
www.adrianschulz.de

(Published in CUBE Berlin 02|21)