The Copper Palisade
- the Nordic embassy complex in Berlin
The most unusual feature about the recently opened Nordic embassy buildings in Berlin is that five countries have collaborated and agreed to accept a mutual architectural expression as opposed to the rest of the neighbourhood where other countries compete on surpassing each other in an expressive cacophony.
The 7,200 square metre site on the southern edge of Tiergarten was acquired in 1995, and the design of a general plan for the future embassy complex was subject to an international design competition the following year. The winning proposal was a concept developed by the Vienna office of Alfred Berger & Tiina Parkkinen, and involved surrounding the five embassies and a common information building with a gently undulating metal facade, which in plan could give associations to an inflated keyhole. Within the facade palisade, there are six detached buildings in a star‑shaped system of courtyards - with the Danish representative in the southwest, the Icelandic to the west, the Norwegian toward north, the Swedish in the northeast and the Finnish furthest toward east. All in a very descriptive pattern organized as the countries are geographically located in relation to Germany.
However, the most brilliant aspect of Berger & Parkkinen’s organizations plan is the fact that the embassies are related to the main entrance toward south and the city of Berlin, while the facade expression in the other directions is quite different and relates to the parklike, Tiergarten-neighbourhood with a green, copper palisade that curves in and out between the tree groups on Klingenhöfer Dreieck. This soft, underplayed expression not only respects Tiergarten’ recreational virtues, but also offers a noble oasis in a diplomat quarter, where no one seems to acknowledge their architectural responsibility. This Nordic underplay of physical presence, despite their four-story height, actually results in the the embassy buildings appearing smaller - and thus contributes to toning down the neighbourhood scale.
The continuous palisade around the embassy complex can be seen as an enclosure with a connotation of security, but as there is still a reasonable distance between the individual buildings. The complex can also be seen as a relevant suggestion about future city block development. As the wing-shaped palisades of patinated copper can be opened horizontally like gills - bringing light into the ends of the courtyards, a rear court atmosphere is avoided. The palisade louvers also offer a varied daylighting in the adjacent office wings.
When the main concept for the embassy complex had been determined, each country organized its own closed competition for the design of their respective embassies, based on the already determined building volumes. In Norway, the winning office was ’Snøhetta’, from Iceland: Palmar Kristmundsson, from Sweden: GertWiingårdh, from Finland : VIIVA arkitehtuuri and from Denmark: 3xNielsen. Because of the basic formality of the main concept, the individual embassies do not differ greatly when seen from the exterior - aside from Denmark’s perforated steel panels, a Norwegian granite monolith and the common building, which opens to the arrival area. It is not until one enters the buildings that the national architectural differences are apparent. Iceland employed an area of glowing lava, Sweden displayed a preference for glass and wooden panels, while Finland similar to Denmark works with subdued architectural expression based on pale wooden strips.
Since the outer limits of the Danish embassy volume were determined in advance, 3xNielsen’s main effort was to split the building mass into two office wings separated by a panopticon lobby space. This sandwich concept gave rise to a linier office wing to the south and a undulating almost S-shaped wing toward north, in that this wing was obliged to follow the curve of the exterior copper palisade. The advantage of working with continuous skylights is that the spaces below are enriched by the constant variations of daylight. Furthermore, the subtle amounts of skylighting offer a beautiful reference to the “Nordic light” with its relatively low angle of incidence, mildness and soft light tones. Not to mention the skylights as an enrichment of the lobby corridors, which in traditional office buildings are often a parody of architectural experience.
In earlier projects, such as the Architectural Society’s building in Christianshavn, 3xNielsen have worked with a panopticon core to provide exciting lobby and distribution areas. However at the Berlin embassy, these effects are less dramatic, and are actually reminiscent of early Danish modernism with the central stairway and the use of pale woods. The panopticon’s curved north wall is thus covered by an outwardly sloping louvered wall of ash. The 14 x 45 metre wood-strip wall imbues the high lobby space with a mildness of its own, an effect that can be contributed to the soft course of the wooden strips as well as the use of wood and its inherent associations. In a strong spatial contrast to this wooden wall, a large elevator core (with rest rooms and other facilities) rises vertically in the middle of the high space, and is punctured by transverse footbridges on the different levels.
The footbridges are so wide that they encourage the personnel to stop and experience the interior in a birds-eye-view, and look down on the Portugese stone floor far below giving rise to a sinking feeling in the stomach, before continuing to their destinations. It is also a great Nordic feature to try to achieve pleasant conditions at the work place instead of a great fuss about the outer orchestration.
All in all, this is a building scheme that appears to be the best recommendation Scandinavia can offer the surrounding world concerning its own abilities.
Flemming Skude
FACTS:
The Royal Danish embassy in Berlin lies on Rauchstrasse 1 - and was opened in 1999 based on a project by 3xNielsen. Click here to visit 3xNielsen
Photos: Finn Christoffersen(interior) and Flemming Skude
