German Architectural Centre, Berlin
The site originally accommodated a mixed development typical of this area with urban housing and factory uses. Badly damaged during the war, the building has been further subject to 50 years of neglect. The new west façade closes the wounds and presents a self-assured contrast to the solid brick structure. The transparent front also reveals the steel skeleton frame within. The entrance to the architectural centre, an exposed concrete open cube penetrating the glass skin, serves as a landmark and wind lobby. A minimal, free-standing steel staircase rises through the newly created vertical space extending from the ground to the upper floor.
