Berlin, 2022
Photo © Klemens Renner

The two new office buildings LEO & ALEX were built on two undeveloped plots on Bornitzstrasse in the Berlin district of Lichtenberg.

Photo © Klemens Renner

The street as well as both buildings in the project are named after the doctor and author Leopold Bornitz and his brother, the parish priest Alexander Bornitz. Between the two volumes are the non-profit Lichtenberger Werkstaetten, which belong to the foundation rehabilitation centre Berlin-East. To the west, the "LEO" office building is bordered by the listed former workshop building of the Konsumgenossenschaft Berlin, built in 1926-27 by Otto Wettstein. To the rear is another listed building, the industrial buildings Josef-Orlopp-Strasse 32/54, and to the east of "ALEX" is the office building "The Wave", built in 1997.

Photo © Klemens Renner

The "ALEX" building consists of a seven-storey block from which three transverse blocks of equal height extend to the west. The striking façade is finished in red brick. Architecturally, it ties in with the historical neighbouring buildings and is a reference to the industrial location of Lichtenberg in terms of cubature, colour and materiality. The storeys are divided by horizontal bands of windows, which are interrupted in places, giving the façade a varied appearance.

Photo © Klemens Renner
Photo © Klemens Renner
Photo © Klemens Renner