David Chipperfield Architects have revealed their masterplan for a public beer garden, boutique hotel and a host of other leisure facilities on the site of a Berlin brewery destroyed during the Second World War.
The former Bötzow Brewery, located near Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, will be transformed by the studio’s German office into a 24,000sq m (258,300sq ft) public destination within the city. It will boast a new brewery, restaurants, shops, a gallery, an innovation centre and a swimming club situated around a large public plaza. Information on the operators of the facilities have yet to be revealed. The project client is Bötzow Berlin GmbH & Co.
Opened in 1885, the Bötzow Brewery was once one of northern Germany’s largest private breweries and its beer garden had space for 6,000 guests. Much of it was destroyed during bomb raids in 1945, and since 1950, the surviving buildings have been used as storage space.
The remains of the buildings will now be restored and three new volumes will be added to extend the site, referencing the earlier buildings and the surrounding architecture. Around 6,000sq m (64,500sq ft) of historic vaults will form the foundations of the site and will be linked at some points to the new public space above.
“From its very beginning more than 150 years ago, the Bötzow family attached great importance to running a modern brewery and a pleasant working environment,” said the studio in a statement. “The architecture of the site always reflected these values and the masterplan aims to perpetuate the singularity of this location.”
Work is scheduled for completion in 2019.
It has been a busy couple of weeks for Chipperfield’s Berlin office. Late last month, a groundbreaking ceremony took place for Carmen Würth Forum; an event space and chamber music hall designed by the studio in the German town Künzelsau.
The uppermost level is glazed on all sides and sits at the highest point of the site, providing space for up to 3,500 visitors. The more intimate concert hall, situated underground seats up to 500 people. Completion is expected in 2017, and an art museum will be added at some stage in the future.
