We stripped down half of the carpark along the tracks of Subway Line 2 and converted it into housing: The buildings at the head and foot of Piano’s structure – two striking, barrel-shaped blocks – were preserved, and between them we created a 185-meter-long structure consisting of four six-story housing blocks boasting a curved design that makes them individually discernable. The balconies are slanted so that they face the sun and the green space of the Gleispark, with the result being quiet, light-flooded inner courtyards at the rear with vertically greened fire- and noise-insulating walls. These spaces are for communal use and shield the apartments from external influences – little oases in Berlin’s Mitte district.
The apartments in the former carpark vary in size, but they all have one thing in common: a terrace or a striking, curved balcony. The very bottom and the very top are particularly homely: The ground floor boasts family-friendly maisonettes with gardens, while the exclusive penthouses on the fifth floor have access to a large, greened roof terrace – with a spectacular view over the Gleispark.

With new sustainability: Housing instead of parking in Berlin’s Mitte district.