Residential Complex Schmollerplatz

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz 

Zanderroth Architekten

CLIENT
Garbe Immobilien-projekte Gmbh

MANUFACTURERS
Jung, Bega, Fsb Franz Schneider Brakel, Nur-holz

STRUCTURAL PLANNING
Wetzel & Von Seht

DESIGN TEAM
Christian Roth, Sascha Zander, Burkhard Köhler, Elisa Gersdorf, Sofie Vaasen, Ronny Bittner,Mareike Schlatow, Sabrina Schreiber, Jens Vandenheede

HVAC
Ingenieurbüro Scheibler

LANDSCAPE
Susanne Friedburg In Herrburg Landschaftsarchitekten

PHOTOGRAPHS
Simon Menges

AREA
8312 M²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Berlin, Germany

CATEGORY
Apartments

Text description provided by architect.

The urban structure surrounding Schmollerplatz in Berlin-Treptow was conceived in the 1930s. Yet most of the buildings on the square are housing complexes built in the 1950s.

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges

When a former supermarket from the 1970s was torn down, an unusually shaped and situated plot of land on Schmollerplatz was reconceived in an effort to take the neighborhood’s restructuring and its need for additional living space into account.

Too small for a city block, yet too large for a single building, the project instead takes the form of two identical residential buildings positioned at 90-degree angles on a plateau raised by 0.75 meters. Through this arrangement, the buildings provide a spatial conclusion to the park-like area of Schmollerplatz.

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges

Their slight elevation creates a private entryway, drawing a distinction between the public and private outdoor spaces of the square.

Where Onckenstrasse and Lexisstrasse meet, the buildings create a new urban square and a shared outdoor space that serves as a lynchpin for the project.

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges

The ground floor, instead of closing itself off from the public, makes aggressive use of the possibility of direct ground access by taking the surrounding areas that belong to the property and rendering them accessible. All ground-floor apartments feature a private garden or raised terrace.

The upper-floor apartments all feature large balconies, while the apartments on stepped mezzanine floors feature planted roof terraces. Both buildings can be accessed via spacious stairwells featuring well-lit atriums and an open staircase.

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges

The building’s appearance is defined by bands of exposed concrete, a wooden infill between the concrete bands, and the staggered pattern of balconies.

Despite the jutting balconies and playful window openings, it is easy to recognize the rigor of the design principle.

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges

By staggering the balconies over the corners, the corners of the buildings are emphasized and their cubic appearance is strengthened.

What distinguishes the building volumes is their maximal flexibility and their efficient use of space and material. The design of the building’s circulation enables apartment keys to be adapted as needed.

The buildings were realized using a wood hybrid construction. All the exterior walls and the entirety of the attic floor are made of solid timber. The wood has been left visible on the inside and outside.

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges

The wall material, because of its unique structure of multi-layered, staggered diagonal timbers, requires no adhesives or foils. Stability is achieved using beach wood screws.

Rather than simply filling a gap or standing as solitary buildings, the apartment buildings on Schmollerplatz are independent building blocks that complete the city at this spot.

Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
© Simon Menges


Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
Ground floor plan
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
Site plan


Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
Floor plans
Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
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Residential Complex Schmollerplatz
Diagram