How to create a high-rise that connects two neighbourhoods?
FORUM
De Zwarte Hond’s design for the FORUM Berlin tower is generous towards the surrounding public space. Located at the intersection of Alexanderstrasse and the Spree River, the site marks the meeting point between the Stralauer Vorstadt, with its 1960s DDR-era block structurr, and the classical block layout of Berlin Mitte.
The tower stands on a six-storey plinth housing public functions. East and west are connected via FORUM Arcadia, a multifunctional public space that cuts through the building. On top of the plinth is a public rooftop garden. Both here and in the surrounding public space, a pleasant microclimate is created by guiding wind through large arched openings - an architectural feature that also appears higher up in the building. The connection between the office tower and the plinth is designed to feel light and open.
Inside, the focus is on creating a comfortable working environment in a high-rise setting. A hybrid structural system with timber floors, interrupted every third level by concrete, allows for future flexibility in combining or reconfiguring floors. Every level offers breathtaking views of Alexanderplatz and the Spree. The tower blends modern and classical elements, bridging different worlds in one cohesive design.
data
- Location
- Berlijn, DE
- Size
- 35.000 m²
- Client
- HB Reavis
- Discipline
- Architecture
- Program
- Offices, Retail
- Period
- 2023-2024
- Status
- Competition
- Partners
- Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners (landschap), Alba Concepts
Berlin
FORUM Berlin
© APPER, CC BY-SA 2.0 DE
The existing situation
The FORUM Berlin site is located at the junction of the Alexanderstrasse and the River Spree. It’s a special place in the city where, to the east, the Stralauer Vorstadt neighbourhood with its GDR-era blocks from the 1960s meets the classical buildings of Berlin Mitte.
The site forms a public meeting place in Berlin, where the urban dynamic is directly linked to the users of the future building. It’s a lively area with a mix of public functions, commerce and trade. It is also easily accessible, thanks to its proximity to the Jannowitzbrücke underground station.
As with all new developments on the River Spree, the design and height of the tower marks the beginning of the original city centre. At the same time, the building is a solitary object, being lower than the buildings around the Alexanderplatz.
Site drawing
View of the entrance from Dircksenstrasse
Continuing the urban fabric
Our FORUM Berlin design for the Central Berlin Tower competition is generous with the public space around it. The tower stands on a six-storey plinth, which refers to the old Berlin building block. This block contains public functions. The east and west sides of the building are literally connected by FORUM Arcadia, a passage from the Dircksenstrasse, where the main entrance is located, to the Alexanderstrasse. This multifunctional public space runs right through the building.
The eastern side of the Alexanderstrasse is thus connected to the park along the Spree. In the near future, a number of larger buildings with green public spaces will be built at the Alexanderstrasse intersection. With the new design, we connect the ground floor with this green area on the other side of the Bahnstrasse.
The ground floor is open and accessible on all sides and is designed as a public market hall. The openness and accessibility from the street make it an extension of the city. This public entrance to the building is a spectacular space 21 metres high, the same height as the blocks of Berlin Mitte. It will be open during the day and will link the green spaces of the Holzmarktstrasse with the banks of the Spree on the west side of the S-Bahn.
Public, green and pleasant
Public entrance area
Public rooftop garden
On top of the plinth is a public roof garden, accessible to all. We create a pleasant climate here and in the public space by directing the wind through the large arched openings, which are repeated higher up the building. A smart section also provides protection from the sun in the summer and from the rain when it drizzles.
The planting creates an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity and frames certain views. The roof terrace offers panoramic views of the city and the Spree, as well as contact with street level.
Pleasant working in high-rise buildings
Innovative tower design with a hybrid timber support structure
The offices are located in the tower that stands on the plinth. The connection between the office tower and the plinth has an airy design. Inside, we have taken care to create a pleasant working environment in the high-rise building.
Workplaces are adaptable, column-free and can be divided into smaller or larger spaces. Thanks to an intelligent hybrid support structure in which every third floor is made of concrete while all the others are made of wood, the storeys can also be easily changed and connected in the future. This variation in the use of materials is also visible in the façade, which extends to all sides and becomes part of the surroundings. All the floors have breath-taking views of Alexanderplatz and the River Spree.
The roof of the tower is crowned by a private roof terrace. As the technical areas are located in the lower part of the building, the roof can be used exclusively as a collective green space for the tenants. In addition to the green gardens, the offices also have their own or shared green balconies overlooking the Spree. The façades have solar shading in the form of vertical louvres with integrated PV panels.
With wood as the main building material, appealing daylight and a balanced ventilation system, an indoor climate is created that provides a sustainable and healthy working environment.
View of the building from Alexanerstrasse
A building for a sustainable future
The intelligent façade ensures fewer installations, low energy consumption and a healthy indoor environment. In addition, most of the basement is optimally equipped for bicycles and light electric transport. By solving the problem of parking and deliveries in the building, we can also make the Dirksenstrasse car-free.
We have designed a tower that brings together the modern and the classic and connects two different worlds. We have reached the second round of the competition with this design, alongside the offices allmannwappner gmbh and ARROW Architects, and in collaboration with Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners (landscaping) and Alba Concepts (sustainability and circularity).
The first floor is open and accessible and designed as a public market hall.
Basement
First floor
Roof terrace
Tower
Crown
