Molkenmarkt Los 1

HemprichTophof, together with Max Dudler and Simone Boldrin Architettura, wins first prize for the new development at Molkenmarkt, Lot 1, in Berlin.
Round arches, as a constitutive element of the façade, anchor the new buildings in Berlin's architectural history while serving as a quiet reference to the site's Jewish history — the buildings recall the place they occupy. On Molkenmarkt, both buildings receive a base zone articulated with round arches that culminate, at the corner, in a two-story entrance arch opening onto Parochialgasse. The buildings there, B9 and B11, remain more restrained, following a familial genealogy within the new yet simultaneously historical ensemble. The corner building on Jüdenstraße picks up the round-arch motif once again in its corner lantern, setting an exclamation point at the perspectival focal point of the lane. This corner building asserts itself confidently toward both Parochialgasse and Jüdenstraße, forming the entrée to the square. The veranda house on Parochialgasse and the gatehouse on Jüdenstraße integrate naturally into the overall ensemble. Here, the three-bay gatehouse serves as the main entrance to the courtyard-side building entries for all houses along Parochialgasse, as well as to the 21 residential units of B7. The slightly raised archway of the entrance portal to the garden courtyard brings the narrative begun at Molkenmarkt to its conclusion. The façade composition of the entire ensemble follows a tripartite principle: a base zone with publicly oriented uses, standard floors for residential and office use, and a sloped roof termination. The monolithic masonry wall with heavy render (Dickputz) is complemented, in varying proportions, with natural stone across all buildings.
The 45 residential units in total — each with a private outdoor space, some as maisonettes — are 100% subsidized-eligible and 65% barrier-free.