Completed in 2021 on the banks of the Spree, this building evokes the aesthetic of a late 19th-century industrial structure. Rendered in red brick as originally sketched, it would have perfectly embodied the warehouse and office typology found in Hamburg's Speicherstadt. In reality, its light-coloured brick façade creates an even stronger kinship with Peter Behrens' iconic Turbine Hall in Moabit. Yet appearances deceive: the so-called "Cuvry Campus" in Kreuzberg is a thoroughly contemporary multifunctional office complex—comprising two conical converging wings that stretch from the southwest along Schlesische Straße and Cuvrystraße to the Spree's northeast banks.

These buildings occupy what was once a fiercely contested brownfield—a symbol of Kreuzberg's ongoing gentrification struggles. Building rights for the sprawling 9,800 m² site had been in place since 2004, when architect Reinhard Müller first conceived its urban master plan. After years of shifting ownership and temporary activations, Tchoban Voss Architects stepped in to realize the redevelopment, overseeing service phases 2 through 4 and portions of phase 5. The two commanding seven-story structures form a powerful V-shape, their tripartite divisions opening from Schlesische Straße toward the Spree. Landscape architects Kretschmer Tauscher wove park-like green spaces throughout the interior courtyards, while a mandatory public riverfront promenade traces the water's edge. Originally earmarked for delivery service Zalando—which withdrew in 2018—the complex now welcomes Lieferando as its principal tenant.

At the complex's head, facing Schlesische Straße, a dramatic glass wall bridges the two structures. This glazed façade functions as a welcoming portal—intentionally so, given the retail tenants occupying the ground floor and the freely accessible interior courtyard. The building's articulation and façade language directly echo its heritage as a municipal harbor precinct. Today, its proximity to the iconic Oberbaum Bridge and the East Side Gallery adds another layer of appeal for city visitors.

www.tchobanvoss.de

Photography Credits:

Klemens Renner
www.klemensrenner.com

(Published in CUBE Berlin 01|23)