Fab 40: Town House O-10, Berlin, by D Chipperfield
Few architectural firms understand contemporary Berlin as well as David Chipperfield Architects. After their strikingly sensitive and highly acclaimed refurbishment of the Neues Museum earlier this year, along with the building of a very beautiful private gallery building opposite, Chipperfield pretty much walks on water as far as Berliners are concerned.
Now, with project architect Markus Bauer, the practice has completed a new townhouse on a thin sliver of land a few hundred metres away – part of a project to bring back variety and density to parts of the historic centre. The Townhouse O-10 is utterly reduced, modern and minimal: white walls, smooth beech floors and a good use of vertical and horizontal planes to make the play of light from the huge, grey-framed windows particularly interesting.
As with the Neues Museum, there are historical references here, predominantly to the smaller buildings of the great German modernist architects that are dotted around the city, but they are not overpowering. Berlin is all about layers and the harmony of contrasts. Chipperfield gets this completely.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
It’s the first-ever Design Mumbai: here’s what to see
At least 100 international and Indian brands will showcase at Design Mumbai, referencing India’s rich and storied heritage of craftsmanship and highly specialised craft clusters (6-9 November 2024)
By Giovanna Dunmall Published
-
Ethiopian culture is retold through blockchain technology
The Yatreda ያጥሬዳ collective's most recent project ‘Abyssinian Queen' is at the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, until 10 November 2024
By Ugonnaora Owoh Published
-
The new Canada Water boardwalk is an experience designed to ‘unfold slowly’
A new Canada Water bridge by Asif Khan acts as a feature boardwalk for the London area's new town centre, currently under development, embracing nature and wildlife along the way
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Book: ‘Design Talks: Contemporary Creatives on Architecture and Design’ by Massimo de Conti
By Lauren Ho Last updated
-
New York conference celebrates depth and diversity in architecture practice today
The World Around, Beatrice Galilee's day-long conference in New York, brought together future projects, inter-discplinary discussion and issues around gender bias, through an exciting array of international participants
By Ian Volner Last updated
-
The Sharjah Architecture Triennial inspects the future of urbanism
The inaugural Sharjah Architectural Triennial, curated by Adrian Lahoud, is built around the subject ‘Rights of Future Generations’ and investigates decision making and rethinking fundamental questions about architecture in the UAE region and beyond
By Yoko Choy Last updated
-
Beyond buildings: the expanded vision of the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial
By Ian Volner Last updated
-
Tallinn Architecture Biennale explores why beauty matters
How relevant is beauty to human life, health and knowledge? Asks Dr Yael Reisner, curator of the 8th Tallinn Architecture Biennale
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Indiana’s Exhibit Columbus festival promises to celebrate women in architecture
By Eva Hagberg Last updated
-
Renzo Piano Building Workshop retrospective to open at London's Royal Academy of Arts
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Palm Springs Modernism Week 2018 preview
Palm Springs Modernism Week, which runs from 15–25 February 2018, has announced its 11-day programme of mid-century modern architecture, interiors, culture, parties and plenty of opportunities to knock back a martini. Explore what this microcosm of mid-century modernism has to offer in its most exciting week of the year, below.
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated