The Miniloft building is a self confident hybrid of old and new. The physical layers of its history give it a richness that cannot be created from scratch.

This article outlines the fascinating history of the building, its scars of war and neglect during the communist regime, and how the new design transformed it into a unique place to spend the night.

Materials are a fundamental ingredient in our experience of architecture. They add a sensual dimension to our interaction with space, and underpin a building's identity.

While designing the minilofts we selected materials that would underscore and heighten the experience of our building. The materials emphasize the loft character, and at the same time create a cozy feeling of being at home.

Berlin's fascinating and frustrating relationship to its unique history have had a large influence on urban design and architecture in Berlin.

Berlin has a very distinct relationship with its historical urban fabric. This relationship has evolved through several phases since the end of World War II – the evolution of design in this period could be compared to the phases of mourning for a dead family member. It has taken almost sixty years, but I think Berlin has finally recovered from its mourning.

We designed the miniloft building to conduct a distinctive dialogue with its context. The building's shape, materials, and detailing were all designed with this context in mind, and play a critical role in the minilofts unique identity.

The miniloft's west façade which faces directly onto the the street, is where the hotel's predominant defining form is most visible and distinctive. The west façade is composed of three vertical bands. The first most northerly band is made of glass; the other two are clad in stainless steel. These bands are designed to reduce the number of materials and transitions to a minimum. Because of this careful detailing the bands become monolithic surfaces, which emphasize the purity of the building's form.