During my study abroad semester in Berlin, I participated in a studio project focused on development in Oberschöneweide, a historically industrial neighborhood located along the Spree river. Furthermore, the project called for a Baugruppen design, a type of living situation accommodating like-minded individuals in a living and working arrangement. As this area was also where myself and my classmates lived during the semester, I grew familiar with the area as the project developed.
After being given a choice of three general regions and three Baugruppen themes to develop, my partner and I advanced with a "pianosalon" development to be located in the area of an established pedestrian plaza along the Spree. Furthermore, this plaza is flanked by an unsightly monster of an abandoned warehouse. Our design developed to embrace this monster by using it as a case study of sorts, one which sees its rooftop as unchartered territory for sustainable housing development. As for the "pianosalon" itself, it called for a large performance space with seating, along with plenty of room for the storage and maintenance of the owner's extensive piano collection.
The end result of the project sees a residential slab suspended above the existing warehouse. What was once decrepit and unsightly is now activated; the warehouse itself now contains the performance space, a cafe, retail, along with piano storage and workshop space and flexible use space for the residents. The act of suspending a residential slab creates an interstitial zone atop the existing roof, which is built up with landscape and small zones for gathering and activity for residential access. Large holes in the slab allow light and greenery to penetrate into the interstitial zone, and these zones also allow the residents to access their apartments. The apartments themselves come in a variety of sizes and feature personal gardens and skylights.
(Project partner: Benjamin Epstein)