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Dark Sculpture in the City

Roger Bundschuh and Cosima von Bonin - L40 - Berlin

  • © Elisabeth R. Meier
  • © Elisabeth R. Meier
  • © Elisabeth R. Meier
  • © Elisabeth R. Meier
  • © Elisabeth R. Meier
  • © Elisabeth R. Meier
At first sight, the strikingly stacked volumes look rather like an over-sized sculpture than an apartment building.

The Berlin residential and commercial building L40 by Roger Bundschuh and Cosima von Bonin definitely stands out through its sculptural architecture. And it shows what architecture and art are capable of when they meet unexpectedly and inspire one another. Nothing like “Kunst am Bau” (art within architecture), but with equal rights from the very beginning. The new building at the crossing Torstraße/Schönhauser Allee, erected on premises getting narrower and narrower as you walk along, provides nine generous condominiums spread across seven levels, sizes between 67 and over 300 square meters. The first floor has three commercial units available.

New Interpretation of the classic Building Block

From a formal point of view the L40 meets all criteria of a closed block. However, these are already all similarities with Berlin’s very own type of buildings. Instead of repeating the already known vocabulary of shapes, architect Roger Bundschuh and artist Cosima von Bonin have realized a construction volume with large window openings and dark-gray concrete façades, structured by many setoffs and projections of up to twenty meters. At first sight, those strikingly stacked volumes rather look like an over-sized sculpture than a residential building.

A building project with obstacles

Neither the eaves height nor the façade structure meet local building regulations, so for quite some time it was unclear whether the building permission would be granted or not and the team of planner had to fight for it more than three years. The plan of Bundschuh didn´t meet the actual given guidelines of building a closed block with a perforated façade at all. Despite this anarchic attitude, however, this expressively designed new building was not at all planned independent from its urban surroundings. When looking closer you will see many tributes to its environment – especially to the residential buildings by Hand Poelzig from the 1920s adjacent to the East.

Contrast between Inside and Outside

The bright and light-flooded interior of L40, providing up to seven meters high rooms in very different shapes to their new owners, is a clear contrast to the dark façades. The numerous windowless inner walls, getting daylight from skylights, provide large areas for installing large-format artworks. Airy roof terraces and open galleries add to the comfort. The result is “a house of concrete. Dark and serious, but also full of lightness and confidence. A contribution to modern architecture, both inviting and repellent”, as Roger Bundschuh and Cosima von Bonin like to point out. There is nothing more to be said.

 

Further projects from Berlin…

 

 

constructor: 

Immobiliengesellschaft ALBION mbH

architect: 

Roger Bundschuh and Cosima von Bonin

status: 

Completion: 2010

size: 

GFA: 2,500 sqare meters

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admin

interesting

17. May 2011 - 15:05
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admin

Love it!

17. May 2011 - 19:25
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admin

Very creative! I wonder what the inside living space is like?...

17. May 2011 - 22:40
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admin

@michelle: inside you have huge rooms with great walls to hang art on it.

18. May 2011 - 10:20
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admin

good i like it

21. May 2011 - 3:00

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