Excerpt: Residential building at Griebnitzsee designed by Tchoban Voss Architekten is volumetrically oriented to respond to the geometry of the site and also widens out in the direction of the shore. The shape of the building is stepped with sweeping curves, which structure the volume visually. The height of the building as well as the arrangement of the floors refer directly to the topography of the site, with its slope towards the water.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] Located in the Wannsee district of Berlin Steglitz-Zehlendorf, this three-storey residential building with underground parking is situated on the shores of the lake Griebnitzsee. The property, in an exposed location on the lakeside, widens out towards the shore and has generous access to the water. In the immediate vicinity is Babelsberg Park, with the palace of the same name, as well as Glienicke Palace Park.
The building is volumetrically oriented to the geometry of the site and also widens out in the direction of the shore. The shape of the building is stepped with sweeping curves, which structure the volume visually. The height of the building as well as the arrangement of the floors refer directly to the topography of the site, with its slope towards the water.
The rear-ventilated wood construction made of rhombus strips in glazed ash structures the façade vertically. Horizontally, the façade is divided by white, weather-resistant metal strips. The expressive window curves and projecting balconies additionally accentuate the façade and building form, allow generous views of the lake, and bring the surrounding nature into the interior of the building.
Openable floor-to-ceiling aluminium block windows ensure light-flooded interiors. From the garden level upwards, the balconies are fitted with fall-protected glass balustrades, whose striped pattern corresponds with the vertical structuring of the wooden façade. The south, east, and west façades have a motor-controlled vertical awning as external sun protection.
The rooms on the garden floor have direct access via an external staircase on the north-eastern edge of the building. All other living areas are accessed via the central staircase at the main entrance. The common rooms are surrounded by spacious terraces. In addition, most of the flat roof is reserved for terrace use, partly as a roof with intensive greenery and partly as a wooden deck.
Access to the property is gained from the street via a gate system. The access area was designed for both pedestrians and cars. The garden has a park-like character.