Berlin
Investitions Bank Berlin
Headquarters IBB

The architectural competition´s goal was to ensure a contemporary and representative building envelope for this important public institution.  The project involved stripping the existing building for asbestos removal, substantial renovation, plus an addition designed to consolidate the buildings of different eras that form this ensemble.  Acquisition of off-site parking allowed removal of the existing parking deck.

A new base connects the building to its context and establishes a fresh presence on the street. The base also cradles the common entrance and connection between the two buildings of the IBB. Like two unfurled carpets, the new structures extend outwards from each building, resulting in interlocking volumes. The intersection of these similar and yet opposite volumes forms the new entrance and defines the corner where two main city arteries intersect.

The design team reinterpreted the solitary high-rise slab building into an alignment of three towers, one of which contains the core. This reading is made possible by the new treatment of the elevation.  In contrast to the previous wrapping stripes of curtain wall, the façade now expresses its verticality.  Reveals between the towers accentuate the additive character of the alignment.

The new envelope of the building is designed as an interactive façade system, acting both as a noise buffer and a heat gain regulator. Thus it also serves as a model ecological and economical façade treatment -- a contribution to the “intelligent building” discussion.

The design of the building achieves an urban dimension and contributes to ameliorating the immediate context. Through its distinct character the complex becomes a point of reference in the skyline of Berlin.