Werners Palast

In a listed building in Berlin-Friedenau, a large apartment with a circular layout presented both heritage and challenge. The quiet sequence of interconnected rooms, high ceilings, and the filtered light through the chestnut trees outside the balcony defined a spatial continuity centred around the living room, the clear core of the apartment and the anchor of its atmosphere.

The renovation operates within this existing order, adapting it to the everyday life of a young family. Proportions and functions are adjusted rather than redrawn, preserving the sense of flow while accommodating new patterns of living. The living room remains the central node, while adjoining spaces shift in hierarchy—places for gathering, for retreat, for play. Storage and service functions are absorbed into the walls, maintaining clarity and freeing the plan from clutter. 

Instead of introducing contrast, the project builds upon what was already there. Functional rooms are condensed to open space for shared living; vertical elements are reinterpreted as storage and as elements of play in the children’s rooms. Material precision replaces ornament: ceramic and stone give weight, muted colours bring lightness and balance.

Photography © Thomas Heimann