Page 63 - AIT0325_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design FAR frohn&rojas, Berlin
Grundriss Level 1 • Floor plan level 1
Grundriss Level 2 • Floor plan level 2
Bauherr • Client Privat
Standort • Location Rungestraße 5, Berlin
Nutzfläche • Floor space 211 m 2
Fotos • Photos Tobias Wootton, Karlsruhe
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 118
APARTMENT
IN BERLIN
Breakfast at the Pantheon, an afternoon nap at the Großes
Schauspielhaus and a cocktail under the dome of a Richard
Buckminster Fuller – the architecture firm FAR frohn&rojas
has realized an idea that makes such experiences possible
in the former AOK building in Berlin. Retaining the open
structure reduces the amount of material used and has
room for very special lampshades ...
T he insurance building at Rungestraße 5, designed by Albert
Gottheiner (1878–1947), was completed in 1933. In the same year,
the architect emigrated to Sweden due to the beginning of persecution
under National Socialism. The red-brown brick façade with ornamen-
tal details is just as well preserved as the remarkable former counter
hall, through which the building is entered. On the second storey, FAR
frohn&rojas recently designed a 211-square-metre apartment that largely
retains the open-plan form of the former office floor but has been given
a more domestic character through the insertion of various surprising
elements. The result is a 150-square-metre open-plan living space that
extends across the entire north-south axis. Large windows frame the
view of Köllnischer Park, while a balcony opposite overlooks the inner
courtyard of the perimeter block development. A defining feature of the
design are three oversized, semispherical lampshades, each measuring
three metres in diameter. They are suspended just above head height,
taming the expansive, four-metre-high room and acting as a light sour-
ce, acoustic diffuser and room divider at the same time. Their design
is inspired by iconic architecture: the Pantheon in Rome, the Großes
Schauspielhaus theatre in Berlin by Hans Poelzig and a geodesic dome
by Richard Buckminster Fuller. Below it, living is staged, with furniture
that can be freely arranged on the terrazzo floor. The Pantheon-inspired
shade sets the scene for the dining area. The Poelzig homage creates
a lounge zone. This middle area can also be screened off with a silver
curtain – for movie nights, for example. The architects propose a seating
area under the triangular grid shell à la Buckminster Fuller. On the west
side, the long, closed wall is extended by a built-in unit. This organizes
the five functional areas: entrance, kitchen, study, bathroom and libra-
ry. Behind it, stepping out of the square floor plan, is the bedroom. It
extends over the entire storey heigh, while the built-in element creates
a gallery level that is accessed by a spiral staircase. From here, the
eye wanders over the spherical shells, which, contrary to their massive
appearance from below, appear surprisingly light from above.
AIT 3.2025 • 063