Bayerhaus
BackProject type
Refurbishment and extension of a listed office building
Status
Construction phase
Location
Berlin, Germany
Time
Ongoing
Size
6000m² (GFA)
With a deep appreciation for its original character and a restrained approach, GRAFT has renovated and expanded the Bayerhaus, a listed monument on Kurfürstendamm.
The seven-story office building, constructed in the early 1950s as an administrative headquarters for the pharmaceutical giant Bayer, is among the first structures built in West Berlin after World War II. With its elegant reinforced concrete grid façade clad in Muschelkalk and stylish interior, the Bayerhaus stands as an impressive example of postwar modernism in Berlin.
photo credit: Bauwelt 1953, Heft 1, Artikel "Das Bayer-Haus in Berlin"
The renovation aimed to increase the flexibility within the building and create spaces suited to modern work processes. A new wing was added to the main building, and an existing side wing was raised by two stories. The façade facing the rear courtyard, clad with fiber cement panels in the 1980s, was removed and replastered to restore its original grid-like relief and large window openings.
The architectural style of the extension draws from the history and elegance of the original Bayerhaus, taking inspiration from rational modernism and the understated, organic forms of the listed building.
This is evident in the color scheme, the use of high-quality materials such as brass and natural stone, and the consistent translation of historical details into elegantly rounded edges. Delicate, custom-designed façade profiles in nuanced brass tones and minimalist safety railings complement the existing building’s formal language.
The new seven-story extension can be used independently or in conjunction with the existing building. Large windows, a highly flexible floor plan, and state-of-the-art technology create a contemporary work environment. The floor-to-ceiling windows echo the open, airy design of the monument’s ground floor, flood the offices with natural light and can be opened for ventilation.
Project partners
Wolfram Putz, Dennis Hawner, Thomas Willemeit, Lars Krückeberg,
Project director
Stefanie Götz, Anna Wittwer
Project lead
Caroline Lossack, Alexandra Bunescu
Project team
Martin Bernard, Katharina Helena Cembik, Viktoria Delovska, Leonardo Di Chiara, Natalie Dillon, Maria Goldstein, Sascha Krückeberg, Ana Lopez de Rego Curros, Dylan Marshallsea, Philippos Michael, Marco Migliavacca, Jesus Navarro Murcia, Benjamin Rieß, Emma Rytoft, Klemens Sitzmann, Philip Stillke, Primoz Strazar, Agnieszka Szymanska, Luis Julio Tomás Gallardo, Inga von Türckheim, Camila Vieire Préve, Marta Wegner, David Wehrmeister, Marc Wieneke, Maike Wienmeier, Bojan Zdravkovic, Daniel Finck
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