Architecture Concept
„Authentische Architektur ist nie allein durch einen bestimmten Zeitgeist gekennzeichnet. Vielmehr verinnerlicht sie den Geist aller Zeiten.“
Veronika von Kathen, Freie Architektin und Geschäftsführerin der Planungsgesellschaft von Kathen und Wall mbH
Choriner Höfe - Urban Design and Dimensions
Choriner Höfe, located where Berlin’s districts of Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte meet, marks the centre of the working and living space of an intellectual community that has embodied the changing values of an entire neighbourhood.
A plot of almost 6,000 square metres has become home to 9 buildings with some 100 flats that blend understated luxury and the atmosphere of one of Berlin’s most exciting districts into a breathtaking mix. Berlin’s inner city district of Mitte is characterised by classic, 19th century perimeter block development. Part of the perimeter buildings extend deep into the space of the block and exhibit the most varied interpretations of the Gründerzeit typology found in Wilhelminian Germany: front wing, side wings, and cross wing. This creates multiply fragmented private interior courtyards, partly of generous proportions.
Reduced Clarity – Buildings 1 and 2
FRANK SCHIFFER ARCHITEKT
The design of Choriner Strasse 84 was presented by the architect Frank Schiffer as an idea to create a sculptural building of monolithic shape to snugly fill a gap in the cityscape. “The building was meant to assert itself by its clear and reduced formal vocabulary and to blend sensitively into its immediate surroundings by its classic proportions and the differentiation of its volumes.”
Frank Schiffer and his team took particular care to select the right materials. “Handcrafted grey flamed tiles were used for the façade, where their lively surface contrasts with the sharp edges of the elegant anthracite wood/aluminium windows. The windows in the English basement and the attic, which are made of varnished larch, add to the materiality of the building.”
The Architecture of Authenticity – Buildings 3, 4, 5
PLANUNGSGESELLSCHAFT VON KATHEN UND WALL MBH
The architectural approach of Von Kathen and Wall’s urban planning firm is guided by the fundamental belief that, to be authentic, architecture, rather than expressing a given zeitgeist, must be imbued with the spirits of all ages.
The free-standing apartment building no. 4 with its sculptural entrance portal, designed by the architects, holds a position of sovereignty in the court ensemble. The desire for individualised living in an urban environment is developed in that two single-family houses, Building 3 and Building 5, flank Building 4.
The formal vocabulary of Building 3, including the clear, geometrised glass front facing south and west, creates an inspiring contrast with the cityscape. Spacious sun terraces, balconies, and greened roof decks form the connection between inside and outside spaces, creating the atmosphere of a quiet and green courtyard. All flats are accessible from a generously spaced entrance area, while this does not adversely affect the living spaces in the other areas. High ceilings on all floors, natural-light bathrooms and kitchens, and the conscious decision to dispense altogether with long hallways and walk-through rooms are creators of a living atmosphere that combines functionality and exquisite convenience in a clever fashion.
Modern and up to Date – Buildings 6 and 7
HAAS ARCHITEKTEN
Adopting a modern and up-to-date architectural approach, the architect Friedhelm Haas offers a totally new interpretation of the typology of the surrounding 19th century buildings by adding bays and loggias. The cubic construction design gives the body of the buildings a plastic appearance into which entrances, balconies, and bays are worked. The building façade overlooking Zehdenicker Strasse is fully clinker-clad and carries on the tradition of early Modern Architecture of the 1920s.
The irregular tiles offer a clear contrast to the straight lines of the architecture. To pick out a two-storey base of the building, the cladding of the second and higher floors is slightly raised with respect to the lower storeys. Floor-to-ceiling windows facing southeast and southwest let the sunlight in. The clinkered exterior makes the building monolithic and expressive. Windows are made from varnished oak, the attic wall and the barrel roof, of zinc plating. Interior materials were consciously restricted to white plaster or filler surfaces, slate flooring for the floors under heavier stress, and oak parquet for the extensions.
Of Classicist Inspiration – Buildings 8 and 9
COLLIGNONARCHITEKTUR
The architectural firm Collignon is the driving force behind the modern architecture of Buildings 8 and 9, focussing on essential design elements and elegant proportions.
“In their main features, both buildings relate to each other clearly and in visual harmony. However, in line with the difference of their importance for the ensemble of Choriner Höfe, we assigned them different architectural characteristics. Building 8, which forms the two-storey gateway to the inner spaces of the block, gets its special emphasis from the bays (or, “nests”) that highlight its façade. The architectural design of Building 9, on the other hand, follows the surrounding buildings of classicist inspiration and the smooth finish of the façades of the buildings in the immediate vicinity. The flats in the buildings inspire free-flowing movement and openness thanks to the generously and comfortably designed living spaces, the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the loggias and balconies.”
Important Advise:
The implementation actually carried out based on the design proposals, planning documents, 3-D visuals presented of the buildings in this brochure may differ from these latter in terms of what is found in reality, including the design and the surface area.
Presented materials, brands, and pieces of equipment are illustrative design proposals only and may vary as needed. Upgrades of implements and equipments are of course possible and will then give rise to an additional charge.