Architects:
Cook & Hawley

Correspondent architects:
Hinrich & Inken Baller

Designed: 1985

Constructed: 1989

Gross Area:
1560 m sq

The building commissioned by the Internationale Bauausstelling (IBA) was amongst some of the last apartment blocks to be constructed in 1989. The thirteen apartments were developed as part of the public funding programme and as such had to comply with the un-negotiable financial and legislative constraints of social housing. The apartment block is part of a perimeter development facing the public park of LŸtzoplatz to the West and a quiet communal garden to the East. The Western and most public facade of the building uses the Berlin tradition of the glazed winter garden to extend the living area of the apartments. Several of the larger apartments have double height living spaces that extend into the winter garden allowing additional light into the depth of the block and amplifying the panoramic view across to the city. The qualities of light and space were of particular importance in the context of apartments whose volume and areas were very restricted. The rear facade of the building is more restrained and it is at the back of the block all the main services (kitchens, bathrooms and toilets) are located. The apartments range in size from a 55m2 single person unit to a three bedroom unit, which is a little less than 90m2. Beneath the vaulted roof are two studio apartments whose internal volume incorporates the arc of the roof profile. By using the regulations that categorise usable floor surface and allowable volumes, the building borrows space from public areas to create the double height volumes in the larger apartments and roof terraces for the studio flats. Following the tradition of the Berlin residential block the ground floor and part of the first floor are for commercial use.