Step inside Philipp Mohr’s loving restoration of a Le Corbusier apartment in Berlin
Architect Philipp Mohr, who was raised in West Germany, was always drawn to the Bauhaus aesthetic even when in the late 1990s many of these modernist buildings were in decay. ‘At that time, I felt like an archeologist, discovering true modernism for the first time,' says Mohr, who shares his time between his practices in Brooklyn, New York, and Berlin.
When Mohr, who fortuitously studied at the Bauhaus School in Germany's Weimar, was looking to buy an apartment in Berlin, he discovered one of the Le Corbusier apartments in the Unite d’Habitation building. ‘I visited this building for the first time in 1989 as a teenager,' he says. A stone’s throw from the 1936 Olympic stadium and adjacent to the Grunewald forest reserve, Mohr was delighted to see what was then a dilapidated apartment block, a now much improved, Le Corbusier design, at least in terms of the exterior and the public foyer.
‘To my knowledge, none of the apartment interiors had ever been realised by Le Corbusier himself. But I always had a strong urge to see one of these important interiors created as Le Corbusier would have done,' says Mohr, who purchased one of the modest two-level units.
‘There was literally nothing in the apartment that had Le Corbusier’s hallmarks. It resembled many other generic low-cost modern apartments you can find in Berlin,' he adds. ‘Le Corbusier hit a wall with planning authorities and local architects completed this project,' he adds.
Mohr’s research led him to France, renting an apartment in the Unite d’Habitation in Marseille, taking guided tours and visiting as many of the neighbouring apartments as possible. Visits with specialists, including historians and art and furniture dealers working with Le Corbusier’s legacy, followed.
When the architect returned to Berlin, after reading on almost everything written on Le Corbusier, the physical work started on his newly acquired abode. On the internet, he came across two original pieces from the Marseille building, a kitchen counter and a portion of a staircase. Lamps, chairs, tables (re-edition by Cassina) followed suit, as the intention was to recreate what would have been in Le Corbusier’s mind.
Those fortunate to see this remarkable transformation, including this writer (when I took a group of Australians to visit this apartment as part of a tour), walked away speechless. Although modest in size, the joy of seeing what could have been realised by Le Corbusier in the 1950s has now come to fruition. Like stepping back in time, the Berlin apartment includes an original Le Corbusier-designed kitchen (albeit from Marseille), a sumptuous colour palette and details that set the master apart, and a delightful sculptural ‘chaise’ carved into the side of a bathtub.
‘I rebuilt the staircase using the original plans that were never realised,' says Mohr, who sold this apartment, fortunately to a Le Corbusier connoisseur, who even purchased every stick of furniture. ‘Le Corbusier used simple and inexpensive means to create a very high and democratic standard of living for all. I feel fortunate to have been part of this process,' adds Mohr.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the website of Philipp Mohr
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Molly Goddard on creating a community of contemporary brides
As new Molly Goddard bridal wear is released, the designer talks about creating romantic but real wedding dresses, while three recent brides tell the stories behind their own Goddard gowns
By Jack Moss Published
-
Palazzo Roma embodies the heritage of Roman noblesse
Palazzo Roma, part of the Shedir Collection, boasts eclectic and eccentric interiors by Giampiero Panepinto
By Luke Abrahams Published
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly design
Boise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Giovanni Michelucci’s dramatic concrete church in the Italian Dolomites
Giovanni Michelucci’s concrete Church of Santa Maria Immacolata in the Italian Dolomites is a reverently uplifting memorial to the victims of a local disaster
By Jonathan Glancey Published
-
Reethaus is a performance space conceived as ‘a place for radical presence’ in Berlin
Reethaus, a newly opened cultural centre in Berlin, kick-starts a fresh era for the city’s growing creative neighbourhood of Flussbad
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
‘London Estates’ surveys the architecture and influence of the capital’s council-built homes
‘London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946-1981’, a new book by FUEL, is the perfect place to start for inspiration on how architecture can improve every sector of society
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Afrobeats and modernism: how the concrete ‘ruins’ of Lagos become a stage
We explore the relationship between Afrobeats and modernism in Lagos, as the Nigerian capital’s concrete structures become a stage for the music genre
By Olorunfemi Adewuyi Published
-
Is this the shape of wellness architecture to come?
Explore the future of wellness architecture through trends and case studies – from a Finnish sauna restaurant to UK cabins and a calming Canadian vet clinic
By Emma O'Kelly Published
-
Duplex brings two houses together as a single, raw, theatrical home in Leipzig
Duplex by Atelier ST is a raw and textured family home born of the transformation of two smaller residential buildings in Leipzig, Germany
By Ellen Himelfarb Published
-
Berlin's Atelier Gardens gets bright yellow focal point within MVRDV masterplan
The bright yellow HAUS 1 becomes a key addition to Atelier Gardens in Berlin, part of an ever-evolving, sustainable masterplan by MVRDV
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
Restored former US embassy in Oslo brings Eero Saarinen’s vision into the 21st century
The former US embassy in Oslo by Finnish American modernist Eero Saarinen has been restored to its 20th-century glory and transformed for contemporary mixed use
By Giovanna Dunmall Published