Berlin apartment designed to be "Berghain in a homely context"
Glass bricks and stainless steel characterise this apartment by Berghain designer Studio Karhard, renovated to capture the mood of Berlin's most famous nightclub.
Set within a building in the city's Kreuzberg neighbourhood, the home was designed as the "Berlin base" for an American couple.
When conceiving the interior, Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard of local practice Studio Karhard drew on their 2003 experience of designing the interiors of Berghain – the German capital's renowned techno club set within a former power plant.
"The apartment reflects the clear design language and material aesthetics of Berghain in a homely context," Karsten and Erhard told Dezeen.
The duo reconfigured the layout to increase space and maximise light in the communal areas.
A striking curved glass brick wall anchors the central living space, which filters light between the entrance and the lounge area.
"Glass blocks provide interesting effects and a semi-transparent feeling," said the design duo.
A crimson-red, low-slung sofa was built around the wall on a stainless steel base that doubles as a side table at each end, while translucent petrol green glass coffee tables sit atop a velvety circular rug.
Terrazzo flooring was selected as "a high-quality, timeless accent that brings all the parts together".
"Throughout the apartment, the material selection is collage-like with a special focus on the haptic and atmospheric," explained Karsten and Erhard.
The open-plan kitchen and dining space is also characterised by a glass brick wall, which gives way to floor-to-ceiling stainless steel cabinetry with untreated brass alcoves.
"Stainless steel emphasises the strict, functional appearance of industrial buildings," said the designers.
Other spaces were deliberately created to prioritise darkness, nodding to intimate corners of nightclubs. The all-metal powder room features a partially gridded ceiling, illuminated only by thin strip lighting above a brutalist-style sink.
Karsten and Erhard said that they initially toyed with adding a smoke machine to the room as a playful ode to nightlife, but realised it would not be a practical choice for a second home.
"A fog machine needs to operate regularly and requires a lot of maintenance," they reflected.
In the bedroom, matte black walls and charcoal-coloured bedding create an immersive cocoon. The same colour palette was selected for a small study where the occupants store their statement silver suitcases in between travels.
The living space's glass brick wall doubles as one of the walls of the bathroom, which features a gleaming black tub accented with built-in yellow lights.
Studio Karhard made a name for itself designing Berghain, and has continued to draw on the club's creative legacy, including with a previous dental surgery that was conceived like a "concept store or cool bar".
But the studio founders have worked across residential, retail and healthcare settings and emphasised that each project comes with a very distinctive set of requirements.
"The goal is always to strengthen or defuse feelings with spatial design, such as euphoria in clubs or fear in medical practices," they explained.
"We attach great importance to mood elements such as acoustics and light, as they have a lasting influence on the emotional character of a room," added Karsten and Erhard.
"This results in spaces that function very atmospherically and appeal to the subconscious."
Last year, local studio Batek Architekten designed another Berlin dental clinic around an acrylic green glass cube to give the space an "inviting, artful atmosphere".
The photography is by Robert Rieger.
Project credits:
Interior design: Studio Karhard
Lead architects: Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard
Collaborators: Jannick Naumann, Lutz Kneißl, Meta Popp
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