LIVING
Urban.
Green. Different.
Urban. Green. Different.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Architecture Allowing Individuality in Togetherness.
Internationally acclaimed GRAFT architects conceptualized a modern ensemble of four buildings, which strengthen communication and increase permeability by the way they are arranged in correlation to each other.
Charlie Living is an urban oasis for people of all ages, and it captivates through various green spaces, taking a different approach to conventional courtyards. The landscape architects MAN MADE LAND designed the courtyards and leisure areas with tremendous creativity and great attention to detail. You will find a conscious composition of split levels as well as rest and activity spaces, surrounded by sense enlivening greens for all seasons: Trees that seem to grow on the facade of the building, a labyrinth of hedges, a “Boule”-square, and a fairytale garden – Charlie Living doesn’t only offer a high quality of life inside, but also outside. A view over Berlin from the lush vegetation of the furnished rooftop terrace shows how perfectly nature inserts itself into the city.
The garden, planted with domestic and non-native plants, also extends to the western facade of the building in the form of planted trees on the facade and tenant balconies. A roof garden completes this hybrid “garden city” in the heart of Berlin.
There are three eight-story and one three-story buildings. The three main buildings each have a different theme of surface and facade construction, facade angle and design.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Building 
In building A, located on Zimmerstrasse, you will find smaller studio apartments that have expressive bay windows, from where you have a view down Zimmerstrasse to Checkpoint Charlie. The apartments facing inwards are all equipped with a balcony, which opens the facade towards the green courtyard. The side wing of this building blocks the view of the neighbor’s firewall and gives the apartments a westward orientation.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Building
The second structure, building B, at the far end of the courtyard, reflects structured rack architecture. The tilted structure forms balconies with different depths, which give the apartments individuality. This building mainly houses medium-sized flats. They are oriented towards the west and to the courtyard, giving them a central location within the building ensemble.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Building
The third building (C), stands out from the usual regularities of the block structure of the southern Friedrichstadt. As a free-standing building, it gives all apartments a particularly advantageous exposure to light. The living areas of the larger apartments in the north wing are oriented towards the courtyard and the sun, while the bedrooms are pointed northwards towards the power station, a historical landmark no longer in function. The facade of this building fold into a vertical landscape with balconies in a particular design that allows for trees to be planted on the facade and on the balconies.
THE ARCHITECTURE
Building
The smallest building (D) is tucked away at the back end of the ensemble; its location nestled within the neighboring buildings seems to protect, even embrace it. Ideal to accommodate the six XL-sized apartments, reflecting an authentic townhouse ambience with own entrance, small garden and rooftop terrace. This three-story block seizes the expression of forms and structure of the buildings B and C.
Architecture arrangement – a Wadi-like composition.
Charlie Living’s Wadi-like arrangement follows a terraced building typology that creates a block interior with lush vegetation that contrasts with the stonier surroundings of Berlin-Mitte. The Wadi – a dry river course from the Mediterranean region carrying water only after heavy rainfall – is otherwise characterized by an opulent flora.