The industrial loft has a reputation as a bachelor-pad dream thanks to its generosity of space and historical charm. But with their renovation of this 240-square-metre former factory space in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, BATEK ARCHITEKTEN have shown that loft life can also suit a family of five as well. Known for its functional, consistently thought-through and future oriented spatial concepts, the Berlin-based architecture office proves once again with the conversion of this historical loft its sensitive approach to existing spaces and their character.

▼项目概览，Preview © Marcus Wend

▼轴测图，Axon © BATEK ARCHITEKTEN

The aim was to provide sufficient privacy without detracting from the open, generous feeling of the space. The core of this conversion, therefore, is a set of wooden boxes that the architects have placed as house-in-house constructions within the loft. A key concern was to retain the qualities of the historic envelope, so that the experience of the size, height and character of the loft remained.

The apartment is divided into two zones: to one side of the entrance is a completely open space containing the kitchen island, dining and living areas. Generous windows add the impression of expansive openness. On the other side is the more private zone, which include a studio, bedrooms, bathrooms and dressing- or guest rooms. These are housed in individual custom-made boxes arranged along a diagonal hallway. The boxes only partially reach up to the loft’s very high ceiling, which not only leaves the massive beams and cast-iron supporting pillars visible, but also the spatial extent of the space. It also provides a second level that the architects have designed in the form of a roofscape.

▼入口一侧是开放空间，To one side of the entrance is a completely open space © Marcus Wend