Yes – to ourselves still hard to believe, but true! Many of our guests have wished for more Minilofts, and finally there will be – this time in one of our favourite Kreuzberg neighbourhoods, between Checkpoint Charlie and the Jewish Museum, surrounded by architectural gems from different decades.
Five years ago we were asked to develop a concept for one of three sites surrounding the former flower market, which has since been converted to house the ‘Akademie Jüdisches Museum’. Originally it was only meant as a political statement to demonstrate that standard luxury apartments aren’t the only answer. But now our concept is turning into reality, helped by a series of strange coincidences. The complex mixture of uses we proposed was selected to be built on one of the first sites that Berlin sold based on the best concept, instead of the highest bid. This is one important milestone on the long road towards our ideal of a ‘Locally Grown City’.
After 14 years of experience we designed the new building as a response to the many compliments and suggestions you have given us over the years.
Our goal was to keep the same generous loft feeling of the originals: high ceilings, lots of light, huge windows, spectacular long views into the green park and across the lively urban square. We have added new aspects to better serve you. Two Minilofts are specially designed for handicap accessibility, most of them have balconies. Some of the new lofts are smaller, the larger ones have separate bedrooms for our many guests that come together at Miniloft for reunions, be it families or friends.
On the ground floor we will greet you in our new ‘Minibar’, offering great coffee and light snacks for neighbours and guests alike. On the roof you can enjoy a lovely roof garden on the site of the telescope through which Neptune was first sighted in 1846.
Mixed-use concept
The little Miniloft tower with its Minibar and a restaurant at ground level is only a small part of Frizz23, a large-scale
cooperative building project.
Frizz23 also houses a five storey non profit school for further education, with a project space at ground level. In the middle part there will be 38 units sized from 30 to 300 m2. Each unit has been tailored in close dialogue with the users, to suit the needs of their various creative fields as writers, artists, musicians, PR agencies, scenographers, cartoonists, game designers, curators and architects.
Some co-owners will produce and sell their products such as upcycled bags and bicycles in the ground floor shops. A 300 m2 shared roof garden on the third floor will be the meeting place for all.
The building’s distinctive shape evolved from this complex mix of uses and owners, to create a dialog with the neighbourhood and park.
Visit the building site
Construction finally started in July 2016 after years of planning. Luckily the site is easily reached. The original Miniloft Building in Mitte sits at the north end of the legendary Friedrichstrasse, and the new Minilofts are growing at its south end.
Hop on the U6 to get off at famous Checkpoint Charlie, or take the chance to explore Friedrichstrasse from top to bottom on foot to get a feel for the ever changing atmospheres between posh and poor. Both poles still have a bit of their ‘end of the world’ feeling, born out of the Wall, but the recent building boom is changing all that with a big splash right now! A high end shopping center is about to replace Tacheles, the famous underground culture center at the north end.
At the south end, our project Frizz23 is making an ambitious effort to ‘grow the city locally’ together with two other projects and taz, Germany’s alternative newspaper. All four new buildings are experimenting with different approaches to serve the neighbourhood’s needs.
Another collective experiment to ‘grow the city locally’ is the ‘Bauhütte’. This meeting point is a work in progress, with the aim to continue our dialog with the neighbourhood. If the door is open, feel free to go in.
