Courtyard Comeback: Rescuing a Midcentury Gem in Berlin - Gardenista
Three years ago, a pair of Berlin architects were hired to renovate a faded house and garden under strict architectural preservation–so strict, in fact, it was up for consideration as a UNESCO world heritage site. Photography by Annette Kisling. The house has a courtyard garden and covered atrium, and its location at the end of a block of five houses that abuts a Berlin park ensures that the views are fantastic. Eduard Ludwig, a disciple of Mies van der Rohe, was well on his way to making a name for himself before he died in a car accident in 1960, a mere three years after this house was constructed. The house sits in the center of Tiergarten Park in the middle of Berlin, built as part of the Interbau development for the Berlin International Building Exhibtion in 1957. Though the plants, including conifer and birch trees, were newly planted in the restoration, they were placed in the exact location of the original design. The architects used concrete slabs for the terrace and limestone gravel for everything else. At left, a glimpse over the original black radiator cover into the covered atrium. Though the Focus fireplace is new, it’s reminiscent of one original to the house. Original linoleum flooring had been replaced by a cherry parquet floor by an intermediate owner, but the architects rejected both and settled on gray polyurethane flooring instead. The original kitchen furnishings had all been changed over time, so the architects were free to enlarge the kitchen area and install new furnishings and appliances. The view from the kitchen window overlooks the public park. For more from Stefan Flachsbarth and Michael Schultz of bfs-d studio, see The Ultimate Timesaver: DIY Dinner in Germany.