PORT ONE BERLIN

The area around Perleberger Brücke is one of Berlin’s up-and-coming downtown neighbourhoods. Situated between the districts of Wedding and Mitte, between the commercial area at Westhafen and a new quarter called Europa-City, the planned development at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 38 is bounded by three train lines and will be served by a new S-Bahn station. While its next-door neighbour, a five-storey residential block from the early twentieth century, was built on an urban scale, the plot itself with its present jumble of run-down 1990s supermarkets and car parks definitely falls short of its potential. The new office building will respond to – and at the same time completely transform – the heterogeneous urban context: while its north wing takes up the adjacent building’s layout, resulting in a traditional courtyard structure, the south wing emerging from the spectacular criss-cross of road and railway viaducts rises to the impressive height of 55 metres. While the bold volume has a pronounced spatial impact, its façade of light-coloured travertine and large, flush glass surfaces conveys a planar impression. Broad arcades linking interior and exterior emphasize the ground floor’s massive solidity. The stone bands in the glass-and-stone façade become narrower on the upper storeys and disappear altogether on the top floor, which is 6.5 metres tall and fully glazed. The high-rise’s building services – necessary but bulky – are concealed in the centre of this extra-high storey. Apart from offices, the building will also house artists’ studios, a café opening onto the waterside promenade, restaurant spaces, and a children’s daycare centre. In an area strongly marked by transport infrastructure, green spaces are of paramount importance. These are provided in the form of roof terraces, landscaped courtyards, and a grove of trees on the building’s north side, all of which serve as venues for a variety of outdoor activities.