Front Garden of the Former Commandant House

With the reconstruction of the Alten Kommandantur (former commandant’s house) near the old Palace Plaza, a substantial component of Berlin’s Forum Fridericianum was restored and an important part of the city’s historical urban fabric was brought to completion. The symbiosis of past and future, tradition and innovation plays a part not only in the structural reconstruction of the Kommandantur building but also in its function. The building, which originally served as living quarters and offices for Berlin’s military commandant, is now used as an international office by the media enterprise Bertelsmann.

The building’s front gardens, which are built directly into the public pavement, represented from the outset an exception in the course of Unter den Linden, Berlin’s grand boulevard. This unique and delightful characteristic was reason enough to recreate the open-space theme of the gardens together with the building.

The motif of the garden - two semi circular structures - was formed in reference to historical plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, who like no other influenced the character of this urban space. The semi-circles, which at first sight appear out of place, actually provide for an appropriate solution to the problems posed: their soft form tapers the broad pavement of the boulevard as it nears the Palace Bridge, directing pedestrian flow and simultaneously providing a generous entrance to the Kommandantur. The gardens’ clear geometric shapes fit the severity of the building’s austere Prussian architectural aesthetic.

Client
Bertelsmann Company

Competition
1st prize, April 2003

Phases
2-8

Completion
July 2004

Photography
Claas Dreppenstedt