Atelier Gardens is a master plan designed to redevelop the 110-year-old Berlin Union Film Ateliers (BUFA) film studio in Berlin, Germany, into a unified film and media campus.
Fabrix, a property investor and developer based in the UK, developed the project.
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Planning approval for the redevelopment of two buildings on the BUFA campus, TON 1 (Studio 1) and House 1 (Haus 1), was received in November 2021.
The transformation of the TON 1 building was completed in September 2022, while the renovation of the House 1 (Haus 1) building was completed in November 2023.
In March 2023, the Atelier Gardens project was awarded the MIPIM Award for Best Urban Regeneration project based on architecture, conceptual uniqueness, economic impact, environmental and community integration, sustainability and user experience.
Atelier Gardens project details
BUFA is a dense campus covering an area of 23,800m² (256,181ft²) and comprising five filming studios, 11 houses and ancillary facilities.
The campus is located on the southern edge of Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport and has been a key part of Berlin’s film and television industry for more than a century. It features wide alleys and open plazas defined by large, charismatic brick buildings.
The Atelier Gardens project incrementally redeveloped and renovated the campus’ buildings and ancillary facilities, extending their life and preserving their heritage.
TON 1 building renovation details
TON 1 is a listed building and required a design that optimises the building space for a range of applications without significantly altering the existing building characteristics. The design focused on extending the building’s lifespan and incorporating sustainable features.
The renovation added an elaborate overhead filigree curtain rail for hanging acoustic or translucent curtains of different hues that divide the room, creating an open space for various events and workshops.
The new additions are in stark contrast to the existing building and are designed to be flexible rather than rigid, and in colour rather than black.
The building’s exposed brick walls were retained and a skylight and lighting system were installed above the curtain rail into the roof to enable its use for a variety of purposes. New interior finishes and an efficient ventilation system were also installed.
House 1 building renovation details
House 1 was constructed in 1997 and underwent a more drastic renovation. The existing building had a poor indoor climate and suffered from overheating during the summer.
Formerly painted plain white, the building is now entirely sunshine yellow, making it stand out prominently across the campus and visible from both nearby and more distant vantage points.
A new roof incorporates a timber pavilion constructed from cross-laminated prefabricated modules, using bio-based materials and non-toxic finishes, including a clay ceiling. Roof insulation, green landscaping and sunshades on the building’s two glazed facades enhance the structure’s climate resilience, while low-temperature underfloor heating helps regulate indoor conditions during colder periods.
The building’s interior space features flexible offices, a coffee shop and meeting areas across four floors, including the headquarters of Atelier Gardens.
The floor plans have been reconfigured to maximise the building’s adaptability, making future changes in function or layout more straightforward and thereby contributing to a longer overall service life.
Sustainability features
The BUFA campus renovation included the creation of an eco-friendly landscape. The existing paving was removed, and roof gardens and green plazas were created to add water permeability and biodiversity to the campus.
The campus is also equipped with eco-friendly toilets, energy-efficient LED systems, rainwater and water recycling systems, and natural ventilation.
Re-use of steel recovered from the demolition of two obsolete warehouses on the campus to build a new entrance pavilion was also considered.
Contractors involved
MVRDV, an architecture studio based in the Netherlands, was appointed by Fabrix to develop the masterplan and renovate the buildings within the Atelier Gardens masterplan.
Hirschmüller Schindele Architekten (HS Architekten), an architecture practice, served as the co-architect for the project, while Harris Bugg Studio, a landscape design practice based in the UK, was responsible for the landscape design.
Contractors involved in the TON 1 building renovation included B+G Ingenieure Bollinger und Grohmann (structural engineers), MMT Network (AV Planning) and MKT Engineering (curtain rail manufacturers).
ESE-Project (electrical engineering), Brichta (blackout screen), Velux (skylight) and Klungkung (carpentry) were also involved in the TON 1 renovation.
Contractors involved in House 1 renovation included Drees & Sommer (structural and facade engineering/project coordination), Buro Happold (mechanical and electrical planning) and Ingenieurbüro Axel C Rahn (building physics). MKP (ground surveyor), Metallbau Weinmann (metal construction) and Zimmerei & Dachdeckerei Quappe (carpentry and roofing) were also involved in the project.
KPM3, a construction company, was the general contractor for both buildings.
HATI (water management), Deltalight (lighting advisor) and Brandschutz plus+ Eberl-Pacan Brandschutzplaner (fire protection) were also involved in the renovation of the two buildings.
