The facade design is animated by the tension between the repetition of identical elements and their continually new and surprising application .
legendary , now defunct facade of the Karstadt Building on Hermannplatz . The northern portion of the Tegel Quartier is configured as an ensemble of separate addresses : this lively , varied architecture , whose details fascinate passersby day and night , is nonetheless traceable to a unified design concept . Here is a genuinely high-quality , durable , and exceedingly memorable architecture .
The facade of the northern section – which has received a completely new design – has for the most part been attached to the preexisting architectural substance , and newly constructed only in part . By filling in the triangular ‘ residual areas ’ along Buddestrasse , the building ’ s form – which dates from the 1970s – again approximates the urban street alignments of the 19th century . The deep , lively facade relief , with its vertical structure , draws the attention of passersby , functioning as a decelerating element to slow the gait .
Two tall , newly-defined highpoints atop the Karstadt Building awakens curiosity and function as attractors . The powerful material and color contrasts of the high-quality , natural stone facade ( pale limestone , green granite , gray shell limestone ) articulate and rhythmics the ensemble optically into smaller sections that allude to historical subdivisions . The facade design is animated by the tension between the repetition of identical elements and their continually new and surprising application . The eaves ’ heights rise and fall in harmony with neighboring buildings .
The various utilizations brought together here – including an office high-rise and a parking garage – remain legible through modulations in the facade motifs which correspond to the respective theme . Along Gorkistrasse , the ground floor zone is opened up by numerous entrances on varied scales . The result is a lively shopping locale with a multitude of attractive offerings . A genuine piece of urban life .
The cascading design of the natural stone facade , with its staggered elements measuring up to 45 cm in depth , was executed using numerous solid elements and is arguably unique by virtue of its form and exceptional quality . Vertically , groups of three stone elements were assembled using compression joints , producing a notably homogenous look . Another special feature is the execution of the fixed glass display windows . A ( dismountable ) frame in natural stone conceals the post-andbeam construction lying behind , leaving glass and stone as the only visible materials .
Emerging in the Tegel Quartier on altogether 90,000 m ² are retail and office spaces . The northern section encompasses circa 45,000 m ². Meanwhile , approximately two-thirds of the new businesses in the Tegel Quartier have already opened their doors .
Architects : Max Dudler Photographs : Stefan Müller
www . maxdudler . de
www . refurbandrestore . co . uk - 15