High-Flying Dream: 7-Bedroom Penthouse with Sprawling Patios and Fine Interior Design

It is a gem dating back to Imperial Germany, and an asset to Berlin as architectural landmark: Riehmers Hofgarten.

At the time, Wilhelm Riehmer let his courage and visionary zeal as builder inspire him to bypass urban planning standards in favour of upscale liveability. Instead of a dense development of tenements grouped around tiny courtyards, he created a magnificent complex on a plot he owned in 1891/1892.

With lavish attention to detail and the diligence of a heritage curator, the baroque-revival buildings and outside facilities have been largely restored. The patrician façades shine with bright structures while the staircases are dominated by warm earthy colours. The entrance doors to houses and flats, windows and stair railings were overhauled true to their original design. Partially uncovered frescoes on the mezzanine levels illustrate the aesthetics of the era when the house was built.

The idea was to combine cultivated aspiration with modern quality. The lighting system as well as the bell and video intercom system add upscale state-of-the-art technology. Water supply lines and waste water pipes were replaced, while heating and electrical installations were upgraded or replaced.

The eleven entranceways are named after scions of the Hohenzollern dynasty. In the Elisabeth entranceway at Grossbeerenstrasse 56 E, take the lift up to the third floor. Another flight of stairs takes you to a new-build penthouse of about 260 square metres with an exquisite residential ambience. The flat can also be accessed via another door from the staircase of the -Dorothea- entranceway.

Residents of this housing complex have the use of the attractive courtyard garden whose groomed trails, picnic lawns, boule court and playground offer various options for hanging out and comparing notes. Other amenities include the roofed-over buggy and bicycle park, and access to the underground car park via the courtyard garden. Two parking spots and a basement are assigned to the penthouse.

In global city rankings, Berlin has been among the top ten for years. Complex cultural events, an engaging way of life, and a unique history have earned the metropolis its global renown. It motivates millions of visitors every year to come to Berlin to see for themselves. Over the past decade, about 400,000 of them were so captivated by the city that they decided to stay for good.

To be sure, a high level of liveability makes it easy to fall in love with Berlin. But the city has so much more to offer. As a science hub, Berlin offers skills and knowledge in just about any scientific field you can think of. Moreover, Germany’s capital of start-up businesses has developed an economic dynamic that attracts companies from inside and outside the country. Its location in the European heartland recommends it as place of business every bit as much as its ability to provide high-skilled graduates and its proximity to the start-up scene with its innovative potential for prospering businesses of tomorrow.

In Kreuzberg, the impulsive energy of young generations is keenly felt and reflected in up-and-coming trends. Aside from this district’s centrality and legendary hipness, life here is defined by a highly productive cultural scene and by creative diversity. Especially the Bergmannstrasse has enormous appeal. Every store here is one of a kind—whether it sells wine, pastry or coffee, antique junk, designer artefacts or vintage goods by the pound, gourmet dog food, vegan takeaway food or famous sausages—while the space in between is dotted with cinemas, theatres and churches that occasionally double as concert halls. All of this embedded in a historic setting of streets that are testimony to the cultural heritage of the city. Viktoriapark, Gleisdreieck Park or the vast grasslands of the former Tempelhof airport grounds provide plenty of outdoor space for local recreation and leisure activities.

Coming from the Elisabeth entranceway, you step into an entryway with access to three bedrooms. One of them features an en-suite bathroom. A hallway in the far corner takes you to the rest of the flat and all the way to the back entrance exiting into the -Dorothea- entryway. This hallway runs past a living room, a dining room, a home office as well as a second bathroom and a storage closet. In the rear of the hallway, next to the kitchen and the guest WC, lies a seventh room that could serve as living room or another bedroom.

The room sizes are 26 square metres or smaller. All of them, except the smallest one of 11 square metres, benefit from windows or direct access to one of the patios. Located on the south side of the building, they face the courtyard garden. Here, a decked walkway runs past the rooms that widens into a raised rooftop porch at its western end.

The interior fit-out design was conceived by Fabian Freytag. The award-winning interior designer combines his aesthetic line with a thorough understanding of the property, functional requirements and a selection of top-end brands. Fine parquetry covers the living areas, while bathroom and WC floors are done in matte grey natural stone. Showers are discreetly integrated, bathtubs made from high-end ceramics, wash basins take the form of concrete-grey cubes. Beautifully shaped fittings in a brushed copper tone complement the towel racks. Other amenities include heated WCs with shower feature.

Underfloor heating in all of the rooms, advanced noise and thermal insulation, and powered Venetian blinds are part of the standard fit-out, as are locking window handles, RC 4 intrusion protection at the front door, a smart home system and air-conditioning using split units. The terraces are laid in weatherproof WPC board flooring, and come with one water faucet each.