Bard College Berlin by Civilian

What may well be Berlin’s currently most appealing student residence stands in the green district of Pankow. For Bard College, a private German-American university, New York’s architecture and design studio Civilian have conceived a pair of buildings whose textured brick façades recall the sober building style of Berlin’s master builder Bruno Taut. The two identically proportioned, long structures − one white, the other red − occupy the corner of the lot and encompass a green outdoor area which connects the public lounges and working spaces on the ground floor. The residence offers accommodation for 120 students in 39 apartments.

New Objectivity as a Model
Civilian understand their design as a reinterpretation of the shared living spaces promoted by the New Objectivity movement of the 1920s − with extensive light, air and an interior design that gleams with constructive and stylistic economy.
The furniture custom-made by Civilian is intended to create a pleasant environment for open social exchanges. As delicate as it is colourful, it gives a nod to the reduced functionality of 1920s-era furnishings, such as those by Dutch designers like Gerrit Rietveld and Ko Verzuu. Moreover, there are echoes from more recent design history, for instance works by installation artists Donald Judd and Andrea Zittel. The bright colours of the furniture continue through both public spaces on the ground floor, where a combination of various working areas enables flexible uses ranging from individual study to group-based or project work. A small coffee bar is an inviting venue for convivial gatherings.

Multifunctional Simplicity
In the private living areas, bedroom furniture of birch plywood creates a great deal of storage and comfort, including multifunctional built-ins with integrated drawers for clothing and a pull-out night table with electrical outlets. The simply designed, CNC-milled fittings are easy to assembly and can be adapted to future uses.