Eternit building

The Eternit building is a residential complex in the Hansa quarter with glazed surfaces, diagonal shed roofs, and colored panels on the facade at Altonaer Straße. The ground floor functions as a display area with glass brick infill, while residents access their apartments via a long walkway on the northern side.

Architect Paul G. R. Baumgarten designed the building in 1957 for the International Building Exhibition using reinforced steel cross wall construction. It was part of a broader post-war vision for modern urban living.

The building demonstrates post-war German housing through its material choices and spatial arrangement. The seven maisonette apartments with studios on the top floor shaped the neighborhood and reveal how residents were meant to live in the city at that time.

The building is best viewed from outside since it contains private apartments and interiors are not freely accessible. Visitors can walk around the site to see the architecture from different angles and appreciate the facade and roof shapes.

Each apartment covers about 95 square meters and spans two levels with private rooftop terraces instead of traditional gardens. This was an innovative response to the scarcity of green space in densely built post-war neighborhoods.

Location: Berlin-Mitte

GPS coordinates: 52.51605,13.34498

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:10