barkow leibinger builds a pyramidal brick residence in a berlin courtyard

barkow leibinger has completed an unusually shaped residential property, situated within a secluded berlin courtyard.

barkow leibinger has completed an unusually shaped residential property, situated within a secluded berlin courtyard. located in the city’s prenzlauer berg neighborhood, the dwelling features a steep roofline that makes the building appear more like a pyramid than a cube. clad with multi-colored bricks, the structure uses irregularly proportioned windows to reference the history of the city’s inner courtyards, which were often given over to industrial use.

barkow leibinger’s scheme is the result of tight planning constraints and historic preservation conditions. ‘used creatively as design tools, these restrictions led to a building that seems at the same time both familiar and strange, capable of blending into its surroundings while maintaining a strong independent character’, explain the architects. initially, the new building followed the cubature of the former structure, which had been destroyed during the second world war. however, this was rejected by the city in light of setback regulations.

the solution involved creating a sloping roof that stretched over three storeys to the building’s upper edge. here, at a height of 18 meters (59 feet), a roof terrace is found at the pyramid’s peak. the form also satisfies the distance requirements between the building and the three neighboring plots. entirely clad in brick, the monolithic façade references the colors of the surrounding façades, with six different tones applied in an uneven pattern.

irregularly positioned windows, framed with polished anodized aluminum, have been placed to loosen the building’s strict geometry. ‘where the new construction meets the adjacent buildings, the windows orient themselves according to the sizes and proportions of those of its neighbors, eventually shifting with growing distance into square and horizontal formats,’ says the design team.

internally, the building contains two residential units organized as multi-level apartments. the lower unit, which measures approximately 250 square meters (2,690 square feet), includes a ground-level living room that opens to a private courtyard garden, with bedrooms situated on the storey above floor. the slightly smaller upper apartment, comprises two living levels, one storey for sleeping, and a roof terrace.