Two striking newbuilds, Spore Initiative and Publix, form a not-for-profit culture hub that more than makes its mark on Hermannstrasse in Berlin’s Neukölln district. Slightly offset, the two buildings open up the streetscape to create a shared piazza that cleverly integrates the old stone gateway to the adjacent former cemetery.

The innovative load-bearing structure of the Spore building is particularly worthy of note. The exposed ‘Spore ceiling’, developed using 3D parametric simulations, translates principal stress trajectories into a material-optimized concrete rib configuration that allows column-free span widths of up to 12 meters. As well as creating column-free museum and first-floor space, this ingenious load-bearing system, which comprises slabs that evoke organic forms and pre-stressed wall panels extending over three floors, also solves the complex problem of laying foundations above the subway tunnel that runs beneath the street.

In terms of materiality, the structures combine sustainability with high standards of architectural design. The facades incorporate recycled clinker bricks to the upper stories with reddish recycled concrete at ground level. The formwork boards used to cast the first- to second-floor slab in the Spore building were reused in the substructure of the canopy on the roof terrace.

The Publix building boasts an impressive monolithic concrete facade and stepped form, juxtaposing transparency at street level with a sense of fortified solidity in the upper stories. The open first floor functions as a permeable forum offering flexible spaces, at its heart a flight of seating steps hand-crafted from solid Douglas planks.

The project’s coherent material and design language creates a harmonious ensemble that sets new standards in the marriage of architectural innovation and green building.

AWARDS

BDA Preis Berlin 2024, Award

DAM Preis 2025, Award