Mixed-use buildings have become essential urban ingredients, fostering a dynamic blend of work, living, and retail. They animate neighborhoods and prevent urban sprawl and monotony. The new "Three Courtyards" development on Lützowstraße revitalizes the Lützowviertel district in exactly this spirit. Drawing inspiration from Berlin's iconic 19th-century courtyard architecture—those deep residential courtyards that shaped the city's neighborhoods—this contemporary design by Hamburg, Berlin, and Dresden-based architects Tchoban Voss reimagines that typology for modern urban living. The hybrid development seamlessly integrates residential units, offices, and retail into three interconnected courtyards. Accessed from Lützowstraße to the north, the office component anchors the first courtyard, while residential buildings frame the two subsequent courtyards. A passage to Pohlstraße on the south side ensures connectivity. The complex sits perfectly positioned near Gleisdreieck Park, with Potsdamer Platz and the Tiergarten just a short distance away. The office building spans six floors plus a setback penthouse level, offering over 18,000 m² of flexible office space divisible into up to seven units per floor. The residential section comprises 223 apartments across seven full stories plus a setback level on its long facades—a height carefully calibrated to match neighboring buildings' eaves lines. The transverse and central wings step back to six stories plus a staggered floor. Both components feature underground parking. Renowned Munich landscape architect Rainer Schmidt crafted the courtyards as intimate green sanctuaries, with carefully dispersed planted islands that humanize the scale. Residential units showcase balconies on both exterior and courtyard-facing facades, with adaptable layouts that can be subdivided as needed, complemented by a curated selection of ready-made studio, apartment, maisonette, and penthouse options. Ground-floor retail activates the street frontages and strengthens the neighborhood's commercial vitality. The roofscape combines extensive green areas with open terraces that frame the setback levels, blending sustainability with livable outdoor space.

www.tchobanvoss.de

Photography Credits:

Stefan Müller
www.stefanjosefmueller.de

(Featured in CUBE Berlin 03|23)