Magazine
MAGAZIN
New Kiez on the Block
#city planning

New Kiez on the Block

An entire residential complex in Berlin-Kreuzberg is to be built out of timber – vertically. With a planned height of almost 100 metres, WoHo is set to be Germany’s tallest timber building.

Kreuzberg is a vibrant Kiez (district) in Berlin with cosy cafés, vintage stores, cultural diversity and one of the highest number of bars per square metre in the world. Norwegian architectural firm Mad Arkitekter has taken a typical Kreuzberg residential complex in all its diversity and turned it on its end. The result is a residential tower – known as WoHo (short for Wohnhochhaus) – built primarily of timber. At a height of 98 metres (322 ft), it will have a good 13 metres (43 ft) on the current world record holder, Mjøstårnet in the Norwegian town of Brumunddal.

WoHo Berlin, Mad Arkitekter
In Berlin, the Norwegian architects are playing with different cubages and creating spaces for the general public.

However, the competition in high-rise timber construction never sleeps and the limits of feasibility are being pushed higher and higher. The “Dutch Mountains” flagship project in Eindhoven plans to scale even greater heights than in Berlin, establishing a 130-metre landmark with two unequal towers. But for the time being, WoHo can be sure of one title: it will be Germany’s highest timber residential building.

Reflecting the local mix

The 29-storey building will be located near Potsdamer Platz, right next to the Anhalter Bahnhof suburban train station. Here, on a total floor space of 18,000 square metres (almost 60,000 ft), people will be living and working in four different cubages in future. 60% of the mixed use project will be devoted to residential space, 25% to commercial space and 15% to social infrastructure such as a co-making workshop, kindergartens and common spaces.

WoHo, Mad Arkitekter
Germany’s highest timber residential building will be situated close to Potsdamer Platz.

Our concept is a vertical interpretation of a typical Kreuzberg block. In many respects, WoHo is a city unto itself.

Jonny Klokk, architect

This corresponds to the average use of space in the new building’s neighbourhood. As the architects explain: “In many respects, WoHo is a city unto itself. Our concept is a vertical interpretation of a typical Kreuzberg block. The diverse composition of building structures of varying heights and widths reflects the scale of the city and the diversity of the neighbourhood and its people.”

A rooftop garden for all

Between the structures of varying sizes, the building will integrate small plazas and lush green areas, both of which will be freely available to the public. The interior of the building – such as the open ground floor and external staircase leading to the upper storeys – is also to be accessible to the public.

Apartment, WoHo Berlin, Mad Arkitekter
As well as being a sustainable material, wood creates a warm ambience and a healthy indoor climate.

In short, WoHo wants to open up to the outside world, just like the neighbourhood blocks on a horizontal level. The timber building also gives Berlin locals added value in the form of a spectacular view of the whole city. Up on high, the rooftop garden will treat its visitors to an extensive view in all directions. Describing what he and his Mad Arkitekter colleagues were aiming to achieve, Jonny Klokk says: “We hope that, with all it has to offer local people, WoHo will prove to be a popular meeting place for all of Kreuzberg.”

Timber hybrid high-rise

WoHo is to be built in a timber hybrid style. While the staircases and elevator shafts of the four structures will be built using steel and concrete, the rest of the supporting construction will be made of wood.

As a sustainable building material, timber is now well established in international urban planning circles. In many cases, building regulations still pose initial difficulties as they are geared towards conventional construction. There are still many reservations regarding multi-storey timber buildings, particularly when it comes to fire protection.

Plaza, WoHo Berlin, Mad Arkitekter
Small plazas and lush green spaces will be included on, in and around WoHo.

Wood boasts better fire properties

However, this is not a view that is shared by the experts. While a steel girder might give way unexpectedly in the heat of a fire, wood burns in a more controlled way. There is a protective layer of charcoal on the surface of the wood, which provides enormous resistance.

Timber is a material with smart properties that prove their worth above all in new buildings.

Jonny Klokk, architect

This property has been harnessed in Japan for thousands of years. Shou sugi ban is a method for sealing wood by carbonizing the surface. This kind of wood panelling only needs to be maintained every 100 years and also provides effective protection against fire.

Building material of the future

For the WoHo architects, timber is the building material of the future. Besides exuding warmth and being pleasant to the touch, the major advantage of this renewable raw material is its ability to store carbon dioxide.

Jonny Klokk: “Timber has a smaller carbon footprint than most conventional building materials – it has smart properties that prove their worth above all in new buildings. Wood is important for the future of our planet as a means of countering the high energy and resource consumption in the construction industry.”

Text: Gertraud Gerst
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Renderings: Mad Arkitekter

Other articles
that might interest you

Superblock designed with mass timber
#city planning
Superblock designed with mass timber

Canada’s megaproject Waterfront Toronto includes a new district called Quayside, an all-electric and climate-neutral community. Its highlights are a two-acre urban forest and the residential Timber House by architect David Adjaye.

Where the future is radically car-free
#city planning
Where the future is radically car-free

The city of San Diego in Southern California has plans for a new district, one that will be entirely void of cars. Known as Neighborhood Next, it must be one of the most radical projects in the USA.

Climate neutral and affordable
#city planning
Climate neutral and affordable

The new urban quarter Zwhatt near Zurich is designed to enable climate-neutral living at affordable prices. One of its buildings is a 75-metre-high timber hybrid tower known as Redwood, whose facade generates solar power.

Wood with superpowers
#greenbuilding
Wood with superpowers

Architect and biologist Timothée Boitouzet has used nanotechnology to give wood an upgrade. The new material “Woodoo” is translucent, fire-resistant, weatherproof and up to five times stronger than normal wood.

High-tech timber for Norwegian banking
#smart office
High-tech timber for Norwegian banking

Timber construction can be decidedly high-tech, as illustrated by the head office built for SR Bank in Stavanger, Norway. Bjergsted Financial Park offers workplaces that are fit for the future, and it is among Europe’s largest engineered timber buildings.

In harmony with nature
#greenbuilding
In harmony with nature

So, what does "Noom" actually mean? While Sanzpont [arquitectura] and Pedrajo + Pedrajo Arquitectos don't exactly reveal this, their "Living the Noom" concept is pretty clear: it’s all about a fresh take on housing. With environmental protection and quality of life as a top priority.

Hamburg sets a new benchmark
#greenbuilding
Hamburg sets a new benchmark

HafenCity Hamburg is an urban quarter fit for the future. Its eco cherry on the top is the “Null-Emissionshaus” (Zero Emissions Building), which is completely carbon-neutral – and can be dismantled like a Lego house.

The oblique cabins of Tungestølen
#hotel
The oblique cabins of Tungestølen

Snøhetta creates high-calibre architecture, including accommodation at high altitudes amidst Norway’s glaciers. The architects have enriched the Tungestølen mountain cabins with a special feeling of hygge.

Urban apartments off the peg
#greenbuilding
Urban apartments off the peg

Apple’s former design head BJ Siegel has developed a concept for a timber modular house. The urban prefab named Juno is designed for mass production – and hopes for success on the scale of the iPhone.

Village life in the city
#greenbuilding
Village life in the city

Communal vegetable patches, car sharing and a timber building that overtops many others. Sweden’s largest housing cooperative is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a project called Västerbroplan that shows how people will live in the future.

A superlative tree house
#greenbuilding
A superlative tree house

Bearing the name Tree House Rotterdam, Holland’s new landmark-to-be looks like a gigantic stack of wooden shelves with glass lofts added on top. It aims to take the sustainability of timber high-rises to a new level.

Co-housing 2.0
#living
Co-housing 2.0

Three tonnes of lettuce and vegetables annually will be farmed on top of the We-House, a timber construction project in Hamburg’s HafenCity. The on-site restaurant serves meals for residents of this sophisticated eco-house at cost price.

The parametric office
#smart office
The parametric office

The design for the urban office building Saint Denis in Paris shows the potential of parametric design in timber construction. Architect Arthur Mamou-Mani is a luminary in this new discipline, and we were able to meet him online.

Wood on London’s skyline
#greenbuilding
Wood on London’s skyline

Researchers at Cambridge University are helping to turn London’s spectacular vision of a wooden skyscraper into reality. The Oakwood Timber Tower is to rise 300 metres into the sky, almost level with the tallest building in the city.

Vertical allotments for urban farming
#city planning
Vertical allotments for urban farming

Self-sufficiency is no longer a dream reserved for downshifters. The modular building system named The Farmhouse designed by Studio Precht allows residents to grow food in big cities.

Timber pavilion with high-tech design
#greenbuilding
Timber pavilion with high-tech design

Homerton College at the University of Cambridge has chosen the design by Alison Brooks Architects for a pavilion that combines modern timber construction with high-tech facilities. It is expected to be a future-facing answer to their needs.

Green, greener, Växjö!
#greenbuilding
Green, greener, Växjö!

The Swedish university city of Växjö has been named “the Greenest City in Europe”. Half of all its new buildings have been built with timber. But the city plans to go even further.

Timber through and through
#city planning
Timber through and through

The Scandinavians have shown their pioneering strength once again, this time in the design for a new cultural centre. The Sara Kulturhus in Sweden’s Skellefteå is among the world’s tallest high-rise structures built entirely from wood.

The exported timber high-rise
#greenbuilding
The exported timber high-rise

When it comes to timber construction engineering, the United States has been lagging behind other countries. Ascent Tower in Milwaukee aims to change this. Topping out as the world’s tallest timber tower at a height of 284 feet, the building uses expertise and structural elements from Austria.

Shopping inside a timber canyon
#interior
Shopping inside a timber canyon

As many as 40,000 pieces of wood had to be fitted together for the gift shop in the National Museum of Qatar. The inspiration behind this award-winning interior design was supplied by a miracle of nature in Qatar’s desert.

The tallest passive house in the world
#greenbuilding
The tallest passive house in the world

Canada’s Earth Tower aims to outshine all existing timber high-rise buildings. Its energy concept means that this 40-storey skyscraper in Vancouver will be the world’s tallest passive house.

Replacing concrete with earth
#greenbuilding
Replacing concrete with earth

On the edge of the tropical rainforest in Mexico, a research museum will explore how nature and progress can be reconciled. Known as Xinatli, its sophisticated design takes a fresh look at circular building materials.

Back to the roots
#living
Back to the roots

The eco-friendly residential project Roots will be the new landmark of Hamburg’s HafenCity and the tallest timber high-rise in Germany. Architect Jan Störmer reveals what its future residents will have in common.

Timber with talent and technology
#greenbuilding
Timber with talent and technology

The Danish office 3XN is planning to build North America’s tallest timber office building in Toronto. Called T3 Bayside, the complex will offer more than 500,000 sq. ft. of next-generation office space when completed.

Back to the future
#city planning
Back to the future

Oslo was once built entirely of wood. The project chosen to redesign the area around its railway station heralds the return of this traditional building material to the Scandinavian metropolis. A spectacular office tower with an innovative hub is being developed, named Fjordporten.

Forest bathing on your doorstep
#greenbuilding
Forest bathing on your doorstep

Dutch architectural firm Gaaga has designed a residential building in Eindhoven that is distinctly people- and environment-friendly. Surrounded by trees, it is situated in the middle of a park.

A design hotel on a bunker
A design hotel on a bunker

The redevelopment of an above-ground Nazi-era bunker is Hamburg’s largest building project since the Elbe Philharmonic Concert Hall. With spectacular rooftop gardens and nhow Hamburg design hotel, this new landmark in the heart of the St. Pauli district is sure to become a magnet for visitors.

The tessellated pavilion
#greenbuilding
The tessellated pavilion

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Australian artist Geoff Nees teamed up to design the Botanical Pavilion – a wooden pavilion that is constructed like a 3D puzzle – without using any kind of glue or screws.

The house made by 3D printers
#greenbuilding
The house made by 3D printers

The round construction known as TECLA has created quite a stir. Having teamed up as 3D printing pioneers, WASP and Mario Cucinella Architects have produced the first CO₂-free housing prototype printed entirely from raw earth.

Origami in wood
#greenbuilding
Origami in wood

Japanese architectural firm UENOA has created a wooden office that has no need for bearing walls. Folded origami-style, the ceiling construction gives a whole new lightness to cross-laminated timber.

“Climate change changes everything”
#greenbuilding
“Climate change changes everything”

Sustainability is a top priority for the Powerhouse Company. In an interview, partner Stefan Prins explains why this means more than just a careful choice of materials and energy efficiency, and how essential it is to consider all the changes brought about by climate change when building.

A timber high-rise goes into production
#greenbuilding
A timber high-rise goes into production

The Life Cycle Tower One was the first timber high-rise in Austria and the prototype for a new type of serial construction. CREE founder Hubert Rhomberg explains the green building concept and why we have to learn to think in lifecycles.

Timber housing on a modest budget
#greenbuilding
Timber housing on a modest budget

Most people looking for a new home with a sustainable design need to have deep pockets. Rotterdam’s Pendrecht district aims to buck this trend courtesy of timber building Valckensteyn, the brainchild of the architects at Powerhouse Company.

All in the name
#greenbuilding
All in the name

In Düsseldorf, The Cradle is gradually taking shape. The timber hybrid office building is being constructed according to circular economy principles, and these will also govern its future use.

Twin peaks for the Netherlands
#greenbuilding
Twin peaks for the Netherlands

The Dutch city of Eindhoven will soon be home to the world’s highest “plyscraper”. The two towers – 100 and 130 metres high and known as the Dutch Mountains – are to set new standards in high-rise timber construction.

Crowned with timber
#greenbuilding
Crowned with timber

A mixed-use project in Sweden’s Gothenburg is being crowned by star architect Dorte Mandrup. The jewel in this crown is its use of timber. The new eco construction is intended to become an icon in sustainable urban architecture.

Feel-good furniture
#interior
Feel-good furniture

Designed by US architect David Rockwell, built according to WELL Building Standard principles. The Sage Collection by British furniture maker Benchmark is good for humans and the environment.

Plyscraper on Lake Geneva
#city planning
Plyscraper on Lake Geneva

Swiss urban planning combines prominent architecture with ecological timber construction. Lausanne’s Tilia Tower is setting a high standard in future-proof urban development.

A district made of wood
#city planning
A district made of wood

Munich’s Prinz-Eugen-Park is the site of the largest integrated timber settlement in Germany. And that’s not all – the city planners have even more in the pipeline.

Gare Maritime restored in timber splendour
#greenbuilding
Gare Maritime restored in timber splendour

Once Europe’s largest freight station, Brussels’ monumental Gare Maritime is now the largest European CLT project. Neutelings Riedijk Architects have transformed the historic structure into a covered district, giving it a sustainable new lease of life using cross-laminated timber.

Sydney hosts a timber innovation
#greenbuilding
Sydney hosts a timber innovation

The plans just unveiled for the new, 180-metre-high timber tower designed for the Sydney-based software giant Atlassian represent a milestone in environmentally friendly construction using this renewable raw material.

Baptism of fire
#greenbuilding
Baptism of fire

Charred is the new black. An ancient Japanese technique for conserving wood is all the rage in contemporary architecture. As well as looking sophisticated, this building material scores top marks when it comes to sustainability.