JWA and Ralf Wilkening breathed new industrial life into this residential plot of Prenzlauer Berg
In Berlin’s popular Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood, a bright new office building has been designed by JWA and Ralf Wilkening Architect.
Hidden behind residential tenement blocks, the 502 sq m project – named Remise – has brought back workspace to the site.
The office is built on the foundations of a light-industrial workshop building which once occupied the site around 100 years ago. Long gone are the carpenters, blacksmiths and saddlers who used the workshop – replaced now in this new structure by graphic designers, programmers and planners.
The new building is made from a combination of concrete and wood, designed in a simple, flexible manner. Each of the four floors hosts an adaptable, bright office space – with a shared rooftop terrace for tenants.
There is a kitchenette on every floor for each office and the top-floor office features a glazed, inset meeting room.
The glazed facade brings abundant natural daylight into the workspaces and is framed by a thick, regular grid of larch wood beams. In alternate squares on the facade, white metal railings and glazed doors create balconettes for the users.
Inside, exposed concrete floors and walls, along with prefabricated, pale spruce wood ceilings, give the spaces a contemporary, minimal feel.
Established by Jan Wiese in 2009, JWA is based in Berlin where it is known for its range of residential projects. This is its second completed office building.
All photographs by Simon Menges
