What does a prison remind you of? Suppression, confinement and vulgarity are the lowest evils of human nature. In short, you will never associate it with bright, comfortable, elegant and fashionable. However, there is such a quiet and elegant prison in the center of Berlin, Germany, the WILMINA Hotel, which is a special hotel transformed from a former women's prison. It was for its unique transformation that it won the first prize of the triennial BDA Preis Berlin.
Architects Armand Grüntuch, Almut Grüntuch-Ernst
The building was built 125 years ago as a complex of former courthouses and later prisons. In front of the complex is a five-storey brick building that used to be the general court for the Berlin district level. It is like a sanctimonious shadow wall, blocking the L-shaped Charlottenburg Women's Prison behind. This complex has witnessed nearly a hundred years of judicial history in Germany, and it was not until 1985 that the prison was officially closed.
WINNER Hotel Room
Like many western countries, governments at all levels have very strict regulations on the protection of historical buildings of different ages. Many historical buildings that have been abandoned for many years and are quite dilapidated cannot be demolished casually. Keeping it as it is and requires a huge amount of money to maintain, so it often becomes a hot potato, and I don't know what to do with it. Remodeling it for use is the solution to the problem. A developer once commissioned Grüntuch Ernst Architects to evaluate the feasibility of the renovation project of the building, but finally gave up the investment for various reasons.
Grüntuch Ernst Architects was founded in 1991 by architects Armand Grüntuch and Almut Grüntuch-Ernst in Berlin. Based on the traditional values of architecture, they insist on innovation, challenge the ever-changing living and working environment, and open up new architectural design paths. With a team of more than 40 members, the architectural firm has undertaken projects ranging from urban planning to the realization of architectural projects of all scales, and also curated the German Pavilion for the 10th Architecture Biennale in Venice in 2006. The projects they designed have won many awards.
WINNER hotel room entrance
After the original developer gave up, the Grüntuchs decided to buy the old building and remodel it. They spent 11 years implementing their project to build a mixed-use commercial space that includes a hotel, restaurants and cultural events.
For this renovation project, Armand Glentu said: "From prison to hotel is a fundamental change. It is necessary to break the original configuration of spaces and give them new meanings, so as to make an old one that no longer conforms to people's taste today. Architecture has become a welcoming place again."
Guided by this purpose, the designer strives to strike a balance between preserving the historic building and adapting to new needs.
WINNER Hotel Room
One of the difficulties of the renovation project was the location of the old building. It is a block limited by the street, with no extra space to expand. In view of the original prison layout, the entire space structure is very closed and narrow. The original windows were small and tall, and only a corner of the patio could be seen from the interior. How to transform such a forbidding, oppressive and shady place into a welcoming hotel for modern guests?
Main corridor of WINNER Hotel
For this reason, the designer formulated a basic principle of opening the outer wall and taking the three-dimensional and spatial structure as the frame. And based on this, some innovative concrete structures are added, including deliberately open spaces or views, with the construction, superposition, repositioning and interpenetration of design elements to expand, connect and re-plan the original structure. At the same time, it respects the history and connotation of the old building, and preserves the original features as much as possible. The resulting remodeled buildings continue to echo the historic buildings of 1896.
WINNER hotel room corridor
They have adopted the theme of nature in both the outdoor space and the interior design, combining the theme of history and life together. They first transformed the former courthouse on the street level of the complex into a salon for public events. This is a four-story multi-purpose art gallery that can host various art events. The hotel's main entrance is opened on one side, from which an open corridor leads to the back hotel.
On the busy streets of Berlin's Kanderstraße, the hotel has only a large wooden door and a low-key bell. Pushing open the heavy door, you enter a world of silence, a garden composed of unmodified pure natural wild plants, the courtyards are staggered, you can only hear the birdsong, and no longer hear the hustle and bustle of the city. It's a hidden corner in the hustle and bustle of central Berlin. The boundaries between interior and exterior, public and private, were considered in the design of the hotel. After traversing a series of courtyards, guests arrive at a large central garden-like courtyard that leads to the bright, high-ceilinged hotel lobby. Passages and rooms become more and more hidden as one progresses into deeper spaces.
The WILMINA hotel has 44 rooms, ranging from small comfortable studios to spacious suite apartments to large luxury apartments and four penthouse suites. The original prison row cells were preserved and converted into guest rooms. The original cell door is used as the guest room door. The original cell number is retained on the door and it is decorated with prison door locks, giving guests the experience of an old-style prison.
In terms of details, all hotel rooms are decorated differently. But all in light tones, with soft textures and high-quality materials to create tranquility, the bathrooms are all designed in a minimalist style. The new penthouse combines clean lines with expansive views. The L-shaped penthouse with top terrace has four suites. Its glass façade, protected from floor to ceiling by delicate movable metal chains, gleams in the sun and graces the historic building.
Main corridor of WINNER Hotel
The original prison cell had high ceilings but small windows, which were enlarged to increase daylight, but the lintels of the original windows were retained for decoration. The original window sill was made of natural stone, which was preserved during the renovation, and a corridor was built with bricks from the original building. The corridor is 18 meters high and has a spatially staggered structure. Dozens of Bocci ball lights make up a filigree-like decoration, dangling from the top, filled with soft light. Opposite the hotel room is a tall, light-colored wall that used to be a brick wall of isolation in a prison, now repainted, and the relaxed colors and materials no longer feel oppressive and enclosed.
"Rediscovering the sky and the visual connection to the outside world was an important part of our design," said Armand Glentu. "We opened up new sightlines as much as possible: from the guest room to the outdoors, to the courtyard; from the former cell to the sky ; the whole Charlottenburg can be seen from the roof terrace.”
This renovation project is not only a transformation of the architectural form, but also closely related to the original history of the old building. Grüntuch Ernst Architekten has extensive experience in this area. They once converted an old Jewish girls' school that had been vacant for many years into a gallery and a hotel. This time, on the stairs behind the Vermina Hotel, they kept an original cell as it was, which contained some historical documents of the time, for guests interested in that period of history to gain insight into the complex history of the house.
In recent years, the new crown epidemic has caused people to stay away from hotels in tourist attractions, and the demand for hotel accommodation has shifted to domestic demand in the city. The resulting rise of downtown resort spots echoes this need. WILMINA Hotel provides people with such an opportunity. Tucked away in one of West Berlin's busiest neighborhoods, by repurposing and carefully designing the existing structure, Grüntuch Ernst Architects succeeded in creating what they describe as "a place of contemplation, where guests can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday city life, without being deprived of the convenience and social opportunities of the city.”
Retelling old stories, the hotel gives it a light and comfortable tone, transforming an otherwise anti-social space into a seductive and contemplative urban retreat. This also opens a new chapter for the old building, making it a new focal point for tourists exploring Berlin.
Article Source:艺术与设计
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