Berlin has been a playground for some of the world’s most prominent architects, from Karl Friedrich Schinkel to Walter Gropius. And though much of the city was destroyed during World War II, it retains this pioneering spirit through its adoption of adaptive reuse in the 21st century, which sees many of its industrial relics being put to new use.
Primarily a renter’s city, there are some gems to be had on the Berlin property market. Here are some of our favourites for sale right now.
An architect’s live/workspace in Kreuzberg
€1.388m via Fantastic Frank
Reborn from the shell of a defunct Schlecker supermarket, this Kreuzberg live/workspace belongs to Danish-Spanish practice Mar Plus Ask and blends Mediterranean and Scandinavian aesthetics. Four-metre-high ceilings and polished concrete floors are offset by soft stucco finishes and an earthy colour palette, while the kitchen is a monolithic concrete slab.
Bespoke three-metre-high oak window frames maximise light across the ground floor Berlin property, which sits off a quiet courtyard, while leftover timbers from the apartment’s refit have been upcycled as furniture.
Wasserturm apartment in Charlottenburg
€2.2m via Black Label Properties
The work’s already been done for you at this three-bedroom apartment inside a redbrick 19th-century water tower in Charlottenburg. High gloss finishes run throughout the 200 sqm blank-canvas space, which sits beneath the converted industrial landmark’s dome-shaped roof, and has access to a private terrace overlooking the city.
Monochrome Charlottenburg loft
POA via Berlin Sotheby’s International Realty
Vast open spaces and a moody monochrome colour palette set the tone across this Charlottenburg loft, which sits inside a listed 1911 building in the Kurfürstendamm.
Textured finishes include timber floorboards, sandstone surfaces and lava stone walls, and the one-bedroom Berlin property has two balconies overlooking the courtyard below/
Prenzlauer Berg water tower ripe for conversion
€1.995m via Engel Voelkers
Raw industrial bones are on show inside this former water tower, which sits in the middle of a cattle farm in Prenzlauer Berg. Dating back to 1909, the structure – which also served as a radio tower in its previous life – is heritage listed and has undergone some restoration work in recent years, including the shoring up of its roof and exterior. It’s now offered for sale, with the prospect of being turned into a unique 320 sqm home, or a mixed-use live/workspace. Its ground floor has previously been a cafe, and there’s the option to expand across the 727 sqm plot at the base of the water tower.
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