Die Macherei Building Ensemble, The master plan for the site of the former Postscheckamt in Berlin Kreuzberg reintegrates the existing high-rise from the 1970s into the urban structure, establishing a connection between the Wilhelminian style quarters nearby and the urban landscape of post-war modernism. On the previously commercially used site, a spatial weave of typological diversity and quality public space unfolds between the quiet residential area by the park and the vibrant neighborhood by the canal.
© Jan Bitter
Part of this ensemble is an eight-story office building directly adjacent to Hallesches Ufer, which, together with a neighbouring housing development, encloses a jointly used courtyard. The ground floor with restaurant and retail spaces opens up invitingly on all sides and provides views into the landscaped inner courtyard. Each floor is divided into two units and can be configured either as a single or multi-tenant model. The building’s rational structure with a compact central core, optimized structural grid, and surrounding ribbon windows maximizes daylighting and allows flexible floor plans for a wide range of office concepts.
© Jan Bitter
The building’s materiality is influenced by the former industrial character of Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. The ribbon façade is characterised by the use of contoured ceramics glazed in green tones. This rather robust cladding alternates with the filigree glazing of the window bands. A gentle folding of the parapet and the outer window panes sets the strict horizontality of the façade in motion. Depending on the time of day and the viewer’s position, the reflections of glass and ceramics offer a constantly changing appearance.
© Jan Bitter
Overall, the building elements of rough and refined materials complement each other both along the façade and within the interiors, giving the building a harmonious appearance of simple elegance and lightness.
Project Info
Architects: Sauerbruch Hutton
Country: Germany
Area: 10040 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Jan Bitter
Lead Team: David Wegener, Ilona Priwitzer
Architects Team: Louisa Hutton, Matthias Sauerbruch, Juan Lucas Young, Mareike Lamm, Ilona Priwitzer, David Wegener, Lou-Salome Bienvenu, Mengyuan Cao, Anita Fabbiano, Katharina Fleck, Lucia Martinez Estefania, Rashi Shah, MarÃa Silvestre Martinez, Rostyslav Skyba, Marie Sophie Starlinger, Alina Tapley, Aleksandra Wypior
Engineering & Consulting > Structural: Werner Sobek AG
Engineering & Consulting > Services: HPS Haustechnik Planungsbüro Schumacher GmbH, Müller BBM GmbH
Engineering & Consulting > Fire Protection: HHP West Beratende Ingenieure GmbH
Landscape Architecture: Sinai Gesellschaft von Landschaftsarchitekten mbH
Engineering & Consulting > Lighting: Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung GmbH
