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Since the 1990s, a long, visually unappealing and functionally and infrastructurally outdated block of buildings had stood on the site of Rosenthaler Strasse 43-45, an example of a redensification that was not very successful in terms of urban development, neither in terms of the size nor in terms of the details. Within the framework of urban repair, the project was to be sensitively integrated into the existing buildings. The area was divided into three differentiated building sections in order to return the previously out-of-scale long building block to the typical structure of the location and to enrich Hackescher Markt. The varied, detailed façades of the three buildings are a direct reference to the historical parcelling.
The Scheunenviertel, part of the Spandauer Vorstadt in Berlin-Mitte, is a trendy neighbourhood and a focal point for young companies and creative start-ups. The new urban ensemble picks up on the surrounding mix of residential, commercial and office uses and expands on it. The project created an urban space that offers the immediate neighbourhood good local amenities as well as an attractive range of retail and housing options, thus enriching the neighbourhood's infrastructure and also keeping it lively in the evenings. Residents and visitors to Berlin benefit from this in equal measure. The project gives new impetus to the development of Rosenthaler Strasse and makes an important contribution to the qualitative improvement, not least by taking ecological and social aspects into account.
The project stands out for its quality of detail and appropriate urban subtlety. The footprint of the contiguous site was used in a very differentiated way across the floors and levels. The three individual façades give the entire quarter a new dynamic through their elaborate design and selected materials. The high-quality façades can age well, last a long time and are economically and ecologically efficient in the long run due to reduced maintenance requirements. To absorb rainwater and provide a habitat for a wide variety of insects and birds, all roofs, including waste areas, are greened. A cistern has been installed to reuse rainwater.
At Rosenthaler Strasse 43-45, directly opposite the art nouveau ensemble Hackesche Hoefe, a modern three-part new building with seven storeys above ground and two basement levels was constructed. In house 44 an Apple megastore opened in 2021. Each of the three buildings has generous retail spaces in its basement and on its ground floor. Above the commercial units in houses 44 and 45 are offices and one- to three-room apartments. House 43, on the other hand, is entirely given over to offices and commercial spaces. The different façades of the three buildings, rich in detail, allow the units of the ensemble to appear as solitaires, while at the same time architecturally adapting to the old façades, some of which are listed, and the new façades of the adjacent buildings. House 43 has a vertically oriented façade of grey Kohlplatter shell limestone. The façade of house 44 is of light-coloured, horizontally banded natural stone from Portugal. House 45 stands out thanks to its façade of light-coloured clinker brick. An additional articulating element is lintels of architectural concrete above the windows. The facades on the courtyard side were designed in a more restrained, but equally high-quality manner, following the Berlin building tradition. The landscaped inner courtyard has a 200-sqm children's playground and numerous parking spaces for bicycles.
The new development was intended to give a clear answer to the question "Which houses, plots, façades can be built in the historic city today?" In the implementation, special emphasis was placed on architectural details and an appropriate scale. The division into three plots, an eaves height coordinated with the neighbouring buildings, three different faces of the buildings and material languages restored and completed the scale of the surroundings.
TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten design, plan and build for national and international clients in the public and private sectors. With over 180 highly qualified, interdisciplinary employees and many years of experience, the company, with its offices in Hamburg, Berlin and Dresden, offers architecturally and functionally sustainable solutions for a wide variety of building tasks in Germany and abroad.
Sergei Tchoban is an internationally active German architect and managing partner of TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten. Tchoban studied architecture at the Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg. He has lived in Germany since 1991 and has held German citizenship since 1995. In 2009, the Tchoban Foundation was established, which is based in the Museum for Architectural Drawing built for this purpose in 2013. In 2018, Sergei Tchoban was awarded the European Prize for Architecture by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design for his lifework.
