Josef Paul Kleihues - Triangle Building

Josef Paul Kleihues
Triangle Building
Berlin, Germany

Photo: arcspace

The Triangle Building is situated in the middle of the complex of buildings in the Friedrichstadt district known as the American Business Center. The site, within the orthogonal order of the Friedrichstadt district which was bisected by the former Check point Charlie customs wall, is triangular in shape.

Drawing courtesy Josef Paul Kleihues
Ground Floor Plan

To convert the odd-angle shape of the site into a right-angled triangle Kleihues developed a design grid which shifted the basic geometrical form relative to the irregular boundaries of the site.

Photo: arcspace

Photo: arcspace
Glazing Detail

The building is characterized by two facade designs that are totally different in conception. The Friedrichstrasse and Schützenstrasse facades are clad in grey, unpolished granite, articulated by horizontal bands of windows, while the Mauerstrasse side is glazed throughout.

Photo: arcspace

The site boundaries are reproduced in the arrangement of the protruding glass facade on the Mauerstrasse side and in the run of the windowsills on the “granite” Friedrichstrasse side, which distorts the ground plan of the upper floors into an irregular triangle.

Photo: arcspace

The building keeps to the traditional 22 meters height of the eaves in the Friedrichstads area with the shops on the ground floor, the offices above and the apartments, all with their own terraces, on the recessed top floor. There are two core staircases in the building that give access to corridors on the individual floors.

Photo: arcspace

As always with a Kleihues building the quality of construction is superb and the attention to detailing immaculate.

Photo: arcspace

Architects: Josef Paul Kleihues
Client: TCHA-Grundstücke Berlin GbR Berlin
Completed 1996
Area: 4.138 square meters
The building contains 4 shops, 94 offices and 6 apartments.

Photo: arcspace

Josef Paul Kleihues also designed the 1994 GSW multi-use building, diagonally across from the Triangle building, that covers an entire block. The glazing rises through the full height of the building with bands of green glazed terracotta tiles dividing the facade into a grid of squares.

May 20, 2002

Josef Paul Kleihues arcspace features





				Features
		Josef Paul Kleihues Triangle Building Berlin, Germany Photo: arcspace The Triangle Building is situated in the middle of the complex of buildings in the Friedrichstadt district known as the American Business Center. The site, within the orthogonal order of the Friedrichstadt district which was bisected by the former Check point Charlie customs wall, is triangular in shape. Drawing courtesy Josef Paul Kleihues Ground Floor Plan To convert the odd-angle shape of the site into a right-angled triangle Kleihues developed a design grid which shifted the basic geometrical form relative to the irregular boundaries of the site. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Glazing Detail The building is characterized by two facade designs that are totally different in conception. The Friedrichstrasse and Schützenstrasse facades are clad in grey, unpolished granite, articulated by horizontal bands of windows, while the Mauerstrasse side is glazed throughout. Photo: arcspace The site boundaries are reproduced in the arrangement of the protruding glass facade on the Mauerstrasse side and in the run of the windowsills on the “granite” Friedrichstrasse side, which distorts the ground plan of the upper floors into an irregular triangle. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace The building keeps to the traditional 22 meters height of the eaves in the Friedrichstads area with the shops on the ground floor, the offices above and the apartments, all with their own terraces, on the recessed top floor. There are two core staircases in the building that give access to corridors on the individual floors. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace As always with a Kleihues building the quality of construction is superb and the attention to detailing immaculate. Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Photo: arcspace Architects: Josef Paul Kleihues Client: TCHA-Grundstücke Berlin GbR Berlin Completed 1996 Area: 4.138 square meters The building contains 4 shops, 94 offices and 6 apartments. Photo: arcspace Josef Paul Kleihues also designed the 1994 GSW multi-use building, diagonally across from the Triangle building, that covers an entire block. The glazing rises through the full height of the building with bands of green glazed terracotta tiles dividing the facade into a grid of squares. May 20, 2002 Josef Paul Kleihues arcspace features