Bold and Constructivist

On 21 September, the Berlin Marathon returns—drawing more than 50,000 runners, many of whom have been training around the city for months. It's also worth reflecting on last year's milestone 50th anniversary and the remarkable pop-up that emerged from it—a project that generated considerable attention. Working with London-based sportswear brand UVU on "The Berlin Racing Vest," Two-Fold Studios activated a single-day pop-up at Brunnenstraße 9. The adaptive reuse building housing the store was reconstructed in 2007 by architect Arno Brandlhuber, drawing on Joseph Paul Kleihues' critical construction methodology and using only a handful of the original walls. It embodies the brutalist vocabulary that resurged across Berlin in the early 2000s. Today, Brandlhuber's brutalist landmark hosts Anti, a holistic wellness studio.

For the 50th Berlin Marathon, London-based Two-Fold Studios delivered a second bold intervention within the iconic space as part of their partnership with UVU. The task was delicate: honor the building's legacy while leveraging its raw, unfinished materiality as a creative canvas. Striking blue plinths set against the exposed concrete created a compelling tension between what exists and what's newly introduced. The temporary installation maintained the rigorous restraint of Brandlhuber's original vision—exposed ceilings and structural elements left untouched. The blue pedestals anchored the cohesive color strategy tied to an exclusive collection created specifically for the marathon's 50th edition. The collection has since achieved cult status in the online resale market.

www.two-fold.studio

Photography:
Schnepp Renou
www.schnepp-renou.com

(Published in CUBE Berlin 03|25)