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The project occupies an entire city block in central Berlin, and comprises residential and office buildings
The essence of this project is contained in its name. In German, 3 Hoefe means three courtyards and describes the three large voids subtracted from the compact volume of this new mixed-use tertiary and residential complex, designed by Tchoban Voss Architekten in the Luetzowviertel district of Berlin.
The site is in central Berlin, in a strategic location near Potsdamer Platz, Tiergarten, and Gleisdreieck Park. Consisting of a rigorously geometric grid of rectangular lots, the area is typical of the city’s development in the 19th century under the direction of Prussian urban planner James Hobrecht. Development in this large grid saw a flourishing of compact buildings, to maximize land use, and internal courtyards, to bring light inside them.
Following the same approach, Tchoban Voss Architekten has designed a dense, compact complex that occupies an entire city block with three large central courtyards subtracted from the main volume to create a geometric, almost symmetrical composition.
The architects’ goal was to combine work and living spaces in a balanced mix of offices and homes in two separate sections of the complex. The office block, which provides 194,000 sq.ft. (18,000 m2) of floorspace, occupies a six-story building, with a further attic level set back slightly from the lower levels. The residential block, which has 223 residences of different sizes, from studio apartments to penthouses, occupies a slightly taller building comprising seven floors as well as an attic level, which is also set back. The entire complex is connected by a single plate below ground level, which houses 115 parking places and gives access to the entire block above.
A common space shared by residents and workers, the three courtyards extend the living spaces outdoors, where flowerbeds, benches, private gardens, relaxation areas, and bicycle parking all encourage a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle, while also bringing air and light inside the large buildings.
>>> Discover another project by Tchoban Voss Architekten in Berlin’s Mitte district
What clearly distinguishes the office and residential blocks are their different façade treatments.
The residential buildings have more open, airier façades, which extend outwards with many small balconies that cast shadows and create intriguing chiaroscuro effects. At the same time, the openings, balconies, and large terraces on the top floor provide outdoor living spaces for residents.
The façades of the office buildings, on the other hand, are more closed and imposing. A regular mesh of clinker bricks geometrically marks off the façades with pilaster strips and cornices. Inside the grid, large windows with dark frames open outwards, blending in with the sheet metal shade panels.
An element of continuity between the two sections is the use of clinker bricks on the bottom levels, this acting as a base for the façades of the residential buildings. The rest of the volume, in very light white plaster, rises from this solid base.
Location: Berlin, Germany
Completion: 2022
Client: LBBW Immobilien Development GmbH
Architect: TCHOBAN VOSS ARCHITEKTEN
Gross Floor Area: 33.875 m2
General Contractor: HOCHTIEF Infrastructure GmbH, Berlin
Consultants
Structures and Building Equipment: Buro Happold
Façade: Heidersberger Fassadenbau
Lighting: Lichtvision Design
Landscape: Rainer Schmidt Landschaftsarchitekten
Construction physics: Mueller-BBM
Fire protection: Krebs & Kiefer Ingenieure
Photography by Stefan Mueller, courtesy of TCHOBAN VOSS ARCHITEKTEN
