Am Zirkus

Project Description

To the left the Berliner Ensemble theatre and in front the Spree River: The building occupies a solitary, arresting position and has also an interesting history: On this very site stood the Grosses Schauspielhaus, which remained standing until the late 1980ies, when it was demolished. Due to the doubled four-wing layout of the structure with two internal courtyards and the staggering of the top 4 of 10 floors above ground level, the building bears a certain similarity in shape and volume to Hamburg’s so-called Kontorhäuser, early 20th-century office buildings. However, the solid, block-like appearance of these forerunners is altered through façades that are more akin to an airy, light and even crystalline architecture. The main façade is divided into three parts: a broader central section and two narrower side sections. The vertical windows, each divided into separate fields by printed glass panels, are horizontally framed by a light-colored aluminum. Just under half of the approximately 33,000 sqm of gross floor area is dedicated to 87 apartments with the interiors designed by Philippe Starck. A hotel with 300 rooms occupies another third of the floor area. The rest of the space is reserved for offices and shops.