Designed by the Office for Metropolitan
Architecture before the wall came down, the buildings formal logic relates to the
former allied border complex at Checkpoint Charlie. Until 1994, the open ground floor of
this building contained a turn-around for allied vehicles and customs facilities, with
terraced housing above, using the roof of the checkpoint for their gardens. Since, the
ground floor has been replaced with a (less interesting) enclosed retail space.
The entire building is set back from the street.
While there are slight differentiations in window texture, the black, horizontally-banded
street facade is mute, except for the sweeping, perforated roof canopy which extends
beyond the face of the building. Walk around to the rear of the building to see the formal
expression (through different types of windows and balconies) of various apartment types.
Jay Berman 1999
How to visit
Take the Ubahn U2 or U6 either to Stadtmitte
(and walk south along Friedrichstrasse) or to Kochstrasse (and walk north along
Friedrichstrasse). The ground floor is open during shopping hours.