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Entwurf • Design AFF Architekten, Berlin/Lausanne
Foto: Tjark Spille
Grundriss Erdgeschoss: darüber liegende Sichtbetonrippendecke • Ground floor plan: exposed concrete ribbed ceiling above face is the lively Hermannstrasse. In between: the four-storey new buil-
Grundriss 2. Obergeschoss • Floor plan level +2
Bauherr • Client Schöpflin Stiftung, Lörrach
Standort • Location Hermannstraße 86, Berlin
Nutzfläche • Floor space 4116 m 2
Fotos • Photos Hans-Christian Schink, Tjark Spille
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 126
SPORE INITIATIVE
IN BERLIN
All quiet on the eastern front: brick on the outside, con-
crete and wood on the inside. The materials are quite
classic for public buildings – but the way AFF Architects
used it for the Spore Initiative’s location in Neukölln is far
from conventional. The non-profit Schöpflin Foundation’s
new, award-winning building is located right in the capi-
tal’s most multicultural district.
A design competition held in 2018 saw the dice fall: all eyes were
focussed on the Berlin-based planning office AFF. In addition to
the already existing headquarters for the Spore Initiative, an additio-
nal building was to be constructed: the House of Non-Profit Journalism.
Together they form – in line with the foundation’s mission – a successful
example of the non-profit sector! Having been launched in 2020, the
initiative’s mission is to connect people from around the world who are
working to preserve biocultural diversity. Between the block-perimeter
development and the park-like cemetery, a suitable location was found
for the project. Behind it lies the Tempelhofer Feld – and right face-to-
ding, which harmoniously blends in with the neighbouring development
in terms of height. Designed as a place of community, large expanses
of glazing form a connecting element between the inside and the out-
side. The façade itself reveals the different uses of the individual floors.
From public to semi-public to private artists‘ apartments. The ground
floor is enveloped by a seamless reddish exposed-concrete façade with
a haptic formwork structure, the format of which resembles the other
brick façade when seen from a distance. And it is precisely this that
brings a piece of history into the building: as part of the concept of local
recycling of materials and (furniture) fixtures, a brick with a visible life
story is incorporated into the façade. The interior is characterized by
wood and concrete throughout. Wood for the staircase cladding and
fixtures – concrete for almost everything else. This also applies to the
ribbed exposed-concrete ceiling: similar to the microscopic structure of
a spore, it forms the climax of the room in terms of content, construction
and design. The ceiling panels above the “spore ceiling” are designed
so that acoustic, fire-protection and lighting components are directly
integrated. This particularly benefits the look of the auditorium. Deep
in-situ concrete seating steps with a mosaic of reclaimed plywood seat
shells invite you to events! The DAM Prize and the Berlin Architecture
Prize were awarded for this – and quite rightly so.
AIT 5.2025 • 073