Berlin, Germany
At the start of the 20th century, Berlin’s Osthafen (East Harbour) was a major industrial hub, with warehouses and storage buildings lining the Spree River between the Oberbaum Bridge and Treptower Park. In recent decades, the area has been revitalised, becoming a hotspot for media, fashion, and creative industries under the “MediaSpree” development.
In the early 2000s, TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten led a master plan for the area’s transformation, integrating historic structures with new development. Among their projects are the nhow Berlin hotel with its iconic reflective cantilever, the Coca-Cola headquarters, and The White – a residential building reminiscent of a yacht.
The final undeveloped site at Stralauer Allee 15–16 has now been transformed into the Dockyard project – a seven-storey office complex built using a sustainable hybrid timber-concrete method. The ensemble consists of two main buildings joined by a glazed bridge structure featuring beechwood trusses. The open passageway beneath offers views toward Kreuzberg and Stralauer Allee, with mirrored ceilings reflecting the waterfront location.
The structure utilises a hybrid load-bearing system that combines timber and concrete, providing flexibility in interior layouts. Timber-concrete composite ceilings and DELTABEAM® Green beams allow for steel-free construction in much of the building. The basement and ground floor use reinforced concrete, while the greened roofs feature terraces with panoramic views, connected by a footbridge. The buildings have generous three-storey entrances and barrier-free access.
The façade features a grid of glass panels, aluminium cladding, and cornices for articulation. South-facing bay windows and recessed loggias enhance natural lighting and provide outdoor spaces.
Internally, the buildings are designed for flexible office use, with additional spaces for catering and conferences on the ground floor. Green outdoor areas line the Spree promenade. Interior design, including the lobbies and signage, was led by Ippolito Fleitz Group. Artworks by Julius von Bismarck, Kwangho Lee, and Katrin Bremermann further enrich the project.
Sustainability is central to Dockyard’s design. Timber from certified sources stores CO₂ and contributes to a pleasant indoor climate. Concrete’s thermal mass reduces cooling needs, and recycled materials – including 800 tonnes of green steel – were used throughout. The building’s energy concept combines geothermal, solar, and ambient air sources, anchored by one of Germany’s largest ice storage systems housed in a repurposed freight tunnel. This provides year-round heating and cooling.
The building aims for climate-neutral operation under the LEED Zero Carbon standard. It is already WiredScore Platinum certified, with LEED Platinum, BEG 55 EE, and Well Platinum certifications in progress.
Architect: Sergei Tchoban
Project partner: Axel Binder
Team: Valeria Kashirina, Agustina Pascotto, Alina Safiullina, Fabiana Pedretti, Giorgi Mjavanadze, Maximilian Pauen, Teymur Osmanov, Anna Okorokova, Katja Redmann, Severin Burr, Lev Chestakov, René Hoch
General contractor: hagenauer GmbH, Immenstadt
Landscape design: service stages 1-5: TOPOTEK1 – Gesellschaft von Landschaftsarchitekten mbH, Berlin Interior design (lobbies, marketing suite) and signage system: Ippolito Fleitz Group GmbH, Stuttgart/Berlin
Photographer: HG Esch
