The apartment building Schönholzer Straße 12 is located in the Mitte district of Berlin, bordering on Prenzlauer Berg. The entire area has undergone a remarkable revival in recent years. The buildings’ gardens border on the so-called Postenweg of the Berlin Wall – the border guards’ patrol route in the no-man’s-land between the two parts of the Wall, one facing West, the other facing East. This path is now part of the memorial site of the Berlin Wall and will be preserved as a pedestrian walkway commemorating the division of Germany. The apartment building Schönholzer Straße 12 will become an integral part of this historic quarter. While respecting the specific urban-residential character of its neighborhood, the building will incorporate the wishes of its future inhabitants.
The building consists of a basement, ground floor and five upper stories as well as a recessed penthouse. It is divided into five separate apartment units. In every apartment, a wide, open living space runs the full depth of the building, connecting everyday Berlin as seen through the front windows with the back garden and its view of the unique, evolving historic site of the Berlin Wall Memorial. Floor to ceiling windows both front and back, coupled with a ceiling height of three meters, allow light and sun into the apartment throughout the day. Each apartment has either its own garden, a generous balcony or a roof terrace as well as an accessible balustrade adorned with plants and flowers running the entire width of the street facade. This balustrade carries a bit of garden to the street front, and a taste of the seasons into the apartment. It also creates a protective layer between the building’s inhabitants and the city.
The building’s design, with no internal load bearing walls and a carefully placed utilities shaft, allows for maximum flexibility in adapting the living spaces to suit the personal taste of each owner. The final layout of each apartment was developed together with its owner.
Schönholzer Straße 12 was constructed as a low-energy building in accordance with the newest energy conservation standard. Both structural elements and interiors will be built to last, using high quality materials. Every part of the building, from the window frames to the garden benches, reflects a unified series of choices about construction materials and colors. Few ornamental details, carried out with superior craftsmanship, make up the character of the house.