designed by Tchoban Voss Architekten
Before World War II, Berlin was an important center of the Jewish diaspora in Europe. Today, the number of adherents of Judaism in the German capital is estimated at several thousand. To enable growth and meet the needs of the growing community, the {tag:pracownie} office undertook the development of a new educational campus - Pears Jüdischer Campus.
The building's oval, irregular shape
Photo: Klemens Renner | © Tchoban Voss Architekten
The multifunctionality of Tchoban Voss Architekten's realization
Thenew campus was built right next to the Chabad Lubavitch Cultural and Family Center in Berlin's Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. The new structure will serve as an educational complex consisting of a school, kindergarten and nursery, as well as sports fields and playgrounds wrapped in greenery. The free-standing building with a rounded shape blends in with the heterogeneous architecture of its surroundings. The two-story high hall on the third floor of the building is conceived as a venue for sports, cultural events, religious ceremonies and seminars or conferences. Located on the fifth floor, the auditorium is equipped with tiered rows of seating suitable for lectures or film screenings. There is also a dining room and kosher kitchen. The basement rooms on the concave side of the building can be accessed by stairs directly outside.
The campus design includes playgrounds
Photo: Klemens Renner | © Tchoban Voss Architekten
Pears Judischer Campus inscribed in an existing shtetl
The rounded shapes of the structure are a formal reference to the interior of the Chabad Lubavitch Center.
Irregular, organic shapes were also used inside the educational complex
Photo: Roland Halbe | © Tchoban Voss Architekten
The brick and concrete building immediately catches the eye with its color scheme, which was also used to formally connect with the neighboring center. Theiridescent purple and blue ventilated clinker brickfacade uses a similar shade of blue to the glazed entrance of the existing Chabad Lubavitch Jewish cultural center. Blue has a special significance in the history and symbolism of Judaism: it is the color of divine revelation.
Horizontal strips of clinker bricks resemble shimmering ribbons
Photo: Roland Halbe | © Tchoban Voss Architekten
Symbolism hidden in the finishes of the Berlin campus
A two-layer waterproofing system complying with building directives has been installed on the structure's flat roof. In the future, the entire roof area will be filled with vegetation. The school's main entrance can be reached from street level, without climbing stairs. The walls of the entrance are decorated with two light installations by Berlin-based artist Anna Nezhnayi, depicting Kabbalistic trees of life. The works are filled with poetic symbolism. An oak tree and an olive tree symbolize two countries - Germany and Israel. The two-story lobby is also distinguished by a mirrored ceiling.
Berlin-based artist Anna Nezhnaya is the author of the art installations inside the building
Photo: Roland Halbe | © Tchoban Voss Architekten
There are elevators in the stairwell adjacent to the entrance, making all floors wheelchair accessible. The facility will be able to accommodate 450 children, ranging from crawling infants in the nursery to full-grown teenagers in grade 12. The design distinguishes between spaces used exclusively by the school (classrooms, auditoriums, studios for individual subjects) and spaces exclusively for use by the nursery and kindergarten.
The concrete wall on the street side depicts graffiti by Berlin-based street artist TOBO, also known as Tobias Friesike.
A hole in the wall with graffiti, through which one can look into the Pears Judischer Campus
Photo credit: Klemens Renner | © Tchoban Voss Architekten
Ania Kociucka
[based on the author's description of the studio].
