The Federal Press and Information Office in Berlin presents all sides to working with existing buildings, as the ensemble includes structures from three different centuries: a new building, the press and visitor center complete with TV studio, cafeteria and library provides space for up to 2,000 visitors; a prefabricated structure that now shines out in bright orange; a completely restructured front building for the market hall dating from the 19th century; and the former Berlin Mitte Post Checking Office, a mid-20th-century building facing the Spree River. The heterogeneous buildings are now linked and their functions accessed by a 120m-long glass block.
Client: Federal Republic of Germany
GFA: 43,000 m²
GV: 207,320 m³
Competition: 12/1995, 1st Prize
Completion: 2001
Photographer: Friedemann Steinhausen, Stephan Klonk, Frank Springer
Awards: 2nd Federal German Prize for architecture Putz 2002, 2nd Prize