Johannisviertel Masterplan

Project Description:

In association with the firm of Duany Plater-Zyberk, we developed the Master Plan for a 6 acre site in the Mitte district, occupying one of the last remaining fully open parcels in central Berlin.

Our site is at a crossroads, linking Friedrichstraße, a high-end shopping street known as Berlin's Fifth Avenue, to Mitte, a more artistically inclined district often compared to New York's SoHo. In partial deference to Mies' legacy, we proposed a master plan that maximizes flow, transparency, and movement, freeing the ground plane wherever possible to offer an array of public, semi-public, and private plazas and promenades.

Along Friedrichstrabe, an ingress into ground- and basement-level retail spaces is positioned to receive natural light and to serve as hub of social and commercial activity. Along the Auguststrabe towards Orangienburgerstrabe, a double-entrance promenade announces the cultural and social presence of Tacheles; flanked to its left is a funnel-like opening that leads into an outdoor pavilion space and amphitheater. Further north along Orangienburgerstrabe are shopping and gallery spaces, elevated a few feet off the ground to ensure visibility, with strongly horizontal Schaufenster that afford partial views into the interior courtyard areas. In the interior, where stands the back facade of Tacheles, is an amphitheater with non-reflective glazing angled to facilitate maximum transparency. Farther back, into the semi-private Höfe, ample space is provided for everyday residential activity: socializing, relaxation, or simply walking the dog.

We also designed the 250-room Johannisviertel Hotel, seen as the centerpiece of the site, in accordance with the master plan's guidelines for height, massing, access and materials.

Project Details:

Client:    Fundus Baubetreuung Gmbh & Co.

Sq. Ft.:   250,000

Year:      1999

Related Projects:  Johannisviertel Hotel