Heritage Apartment in Berlin by Marc Benjamin Drewes ARCHITEKTUREN.

Small and cautious interventions by Marc Benjamin Drewes ARCHITEKTUREN, in collaboration with Schneideroelsen, attempt to preserve the special atmosphere and retrieve hidden interior qualities in this refurbishment of a typical Berlin apartment dating back to 1900s.

In three of the rooms, several layers of old colour were taken off the extensive moulding on the ceiling. Behind the thick layers of colour, parts of the original frescos appeared. Since the ceilings weren’t repainted, the rooms are now characterised by a lively and diverse aesthetic full of history. The walls were plastered with a simple lime cement, which creates a slightly irregular and textured surface. The heritage oak parquetry and timber floorboards were sanded and treated with an oil & wax mixture, preserving much of the original character.

In the rooms with no original moulding, the cement tile patterns create a colourful and vivacious atmosphere. The rest of these rooms are kept pure and without complicated details. Between the kitchen and the bedroom, an old Moroccan door marks the transition between the richly decorated original parts and the new pure and modern sections of the apartment. This almost surreal element bought by the client establishes a strong personal touch.

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[Images courtesy of Marc Benjamin Drewes ARCHITEKTUREN. Photography by Enric Duch.]