The office building at Ritterstraße 16 stands out as a robust structure in the bustling and rugged district of Berlin Kreuzberg. A visible façade structure made of precast concrete elements, woven together across all floors, connects the diversity of users inside to form a communal image. The building is designed as a block edge along the street, creating an intimate courtyard with an open staircase at the rear. Loggias and terraces structure the facades and create outdoor living spaces for all users of the building.
In keeping with the typical Kreuzberg commercial courtyard design, a passageway leads to the courtyard area with the main entrance to the six-story building. A reinforced concrete skeleton construction creates open floor plans. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the delicate aluminum facade ensure good daylighting. Concrete core temperature control in the exposed concrete ceilings provides basic temperature control. The building is DGNB Gold certified and designed to be barrier-free. As an inner-city redensification project, it utilizes the existing infrastructure and transport connections as part of the urban network. Bicycle parking spaces are located in the inner courtyard and in the basement. Energy is supplied via a district heating connection and a photovoltaic system on the green roof. In addition to the external sun protection, the deep loggias provide natural shading.
