flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Gehry wins bid to design Berlin's tallest tower [slideshow]

Gehry wins bid to design Berlin's tallest tower [slideshow]

The architect's "rotating cubes" scheme for the 300-unit residential tower beat out design submissions by eight other prominent firms, including Adjaye Associates and David Chipperfield Architects.


By Hines | February 3, 2014

Hines, the international real estate firm, announced that Gehry Partners has won an architectural competition for a new 300-unit residential tower in Berlin, Germany. 

The development, which is owned by Hines, will be located at the D4 construction site between Hackescher Markt, Friedrichshain, and Berlin-Mitte, adjacent to Hines’ recently developed Die Mitte retail building. 

Berlin’s first new high-rise residential development since the 1970s, the project will rise to a maximum height of 492 feet, likely becoming the tallest building in Berlin and the tallest residential building in all of Germany. It will contain approximately 500,000 square feet, will include small apartments and penthouses, and a portion of the tower will house a hotel.

This project represents the third time Hines has worked with Gehry Partners. The firm also designed Hines’ DZ Bank in Berlin and the New World Center in Miami Beach, FL, for which Hines served as development manager.

 

 

In order to find the best possible urban and architectural design solution for this important location, Hines, under an agreement with the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment as well as the Berlin-Mitte District Council, invited nine national and international architects to take part in an architectural competition in May 2013.

Participants were Adjaye Associates (London, UK); Architectonica (Miami, USA); Barkow Leibinger Architects (Berlin, GER); BE Berlin (Berlin, GER); David Chipperfield Architects (London/Berlin, UK/GER); Gehry Partners, LLP (Santa Monica, USA); Ingenhoven Architects (Dusseldorf, GER); Kleihues + Kleihues Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH (Berlin, GER); and Prof. Kollhof Generalplanungs-GmbH (Berlin, GER).

Following the first assessment in November 2013, four firms–Barkow Leibinger Architects, Gehry Partners, Ingenhoven Architects and Kleihues + Kleihues–were asked to refine their designs for a second and final phase of the competition.

On January 23, 2014, a panel of judges decided on the architectural and urban design qualities of the submissions. The panel, chaired by Prof. Peter P. Schweger, included, among others: Regula Lüscher, Senate Building Director; Kristina Laduch, Head of the City Planning Department Berlin-Mitte; and Christoph Reschke and Alexander Möll, co-managing directors of Hines Immobilien GmbH.

 

 

Reschke explains, “The quality of the designs submitted was extremely high and reflected the importance of this prominent location in the center of Berlin. This place has a strong symbolic character and will develop into a metropolitan residential and retail area. In order to transform the square, we want to take a chance on something new and exceptional.”

The experts came to the conclusion that Gehry Partners’ solution was the most compelling for this central location. The winning design convinced the jury with its sculptural interpretation, achieved by rotating a number of cubes that relate to many of the city’s focal points, in particular the neighboring Karl-Marx-Allee. With its exceptional form, the building develops a completely new architectural language. In addition, the jury was enthusiastic about the harmonious design of the elevations and the stone used for the building façades.

Regula Lüscher, Senate Building Director, commented, “Gehry’s design is strong in visual expression and introduces an unusually eccentric, new pattern for this location. Nevertheless, the façade radiates agreeable tranquility. In addition, the design blends well with the neighborhood and conveys all aspects of metropolitan living.”

Second place was awarded to Kleihues + Kleihues Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, and third place was awarded to Barkow Leibinger Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH.

 

 

The designs presented by the competition winners will be publicly exhibited in the annex to the Lichthof at Köllnischer Park 3, 10179 Berlin, from January 27 to February 12, 2014. The exhibition will be open from Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Hines opened its first office outside the U.S. in Berlin in 1991, and today employs more than 50 real estate professionals in Germany’s most important cities. Some of the projects completed and managed by Hines Germany include: Die Mitte-Shopping am Alexanderplatz, Upper Eastside Berlin, Sony Center Berlin, Benrather Karree in Düsseldorf, Uptown München in Munich, Hofstatt in Munich, Siemens Headquarters in Munich and Postquartier in Stuttgart. Hines has acquired, developed and is now managing approximately 10.7 million square feet in Germany.

 

Related Stories

Architects | Apr 19, 2017

Tour Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry architecture with Google Earth

Google Earth’s new ‘Voyager’ feature allows people to take interactive guided tours.

Multifamily Housing | Apr 18, 2017

Three multifamily, three specialized housing projects among 14 recipients of the AIA’s 2017 Housing Awards

2017 marks the 17th year the AIA has rewarded projects and architects with the Housing Awards.

Projects | Apr 17, 2017

BD+C's 2017 Design Innovation Report

Façades that would make Dr. Seuss smile, living walls, and exterior wall space that doubles as gallery space are all represented in this year's BD+C Design Innovation Report.

Healthcare Facilities | Apr 13, 2017

The rise of human performance facilities

A new medical facility in Chicago focuses on sustaining its customers’ human performance.

Laboratories | Apr 13, 2017

How to design transformative scientific spaces? Put people first

While most labs are designed to achieve that basic functionality, a transformational lab environment prioritizes a science organization’s most valuable assets: its people.

Hotel Facilities | Apr 12, 2017

Hotels embrace place

Today’s hospitality environments emphasize unique, localized experiences to attract and engage guests.

Green | Apr 11, 2017

Passivhaus for high-rises? Research demonstrates viability of the stringent standards for tall residential buildings

A new study conducted by FXFOWLE shows that Building Teams can meet stringent Passivhaus performance standards with minimal impact to first cost and aesthetics.

Curtain Wall | Apr 11, 2017

Masters of geometry

Three firms that specialize in façades that curve, twist, and turn see themselves as artisans of the unthinkable.

Office Buildings | Apr 10, 2017

Innovation lab makes developing eye care solutions a collaborative affair

The Shop East innovation lab presents 13,500 sf of workspace across two floors with an emphasis on collaboration. 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021