The structure with a total area of 30,000 m2 will face the side facade of the Spree river, and the main one - to the Humboldthafen harbor. The Central Station is located on the opposite side of the harbor, and the new building is intended to revitalize the surrounding area, which is still underdeveloped.
The authors of the project abandoned the option in the form of a monolithic block, using instead a plan in the form of a meander. The building twists along the harbor embankment in a geometric "snake": thanks to this, the thickness of its buildings is small, and all rooms will be able to receive maximum sunlight. This is facilitated by the interpretation of the facades: they are covered with a network of white glass-fiber-reinforced concrete profiles that reflect light into the building. At first glance, it is deliberately modest, even boring: at the request of the city authorities, the main role in the district was to remain with the station complex (bureau gmp) - although its large-scale glass volumes would have dominated the environment anyway. However, from an aesthetic point of view, it both enlivens the surface of the walls, and serves as a reference to the tradition of late modernism important for Germany.
Thanks to the "meander" plan, three spacious courtyards were formed in the building, which also serve as pedestrian walkways from the harbor coast to the interior of the quarter. The lower tiers of the 7- and 8-storey buildings are occupied by shops, and from the Humboldthafen side they have been turned into "arcades" with cafes and restaurants (like most other premises of the complex, they boast views of the water surface). Above is the mezzanine level with conference rooms.
Construction is planned to begin in the near future, and to be completed in 2014.
N. F.
