Contemporary design couple flawlessly fuse two cultural aesthetics in their converted Berlin home and studio.
It’s hard to believe that in a past life, this space was a local pharmaceutical supermarket. Now a serene and minimalist one-bedroom home and office for architectural duo Mar Vicens and Ask AnkerAistrup (who make up ) Glogauer Strasse offers a tranquil sanctuary that’s tucked away from the chaos of gritty .
Sitting underneath Alvar Aalto’s ‘Golden Bell’ lights by Artek, is Mar and Ask’s custom crafted dining table using recycled wood from the renovation. Matched up with a covetable mix of chairs, including Hans J Wegner’s ‘Sawbuck’ for Carl Hansen & Søn, One by Børge Mogensen for FDB Møbler and a ‘Folding Chair’ by Egon Eiermann.
Located in Kreuzberg, formerly part of West Germany since 1970, the neighbourhood has become known for its alternative scene, Ask explains. “It is a dirty and noisy part of the city, but the neighbourhood wears it in a charming way.” Partners in business and in life, Danish-born Ask and Spanish-born Mar set about restructuring the heritage building’s stark 180-square-metre retail space into an inviting and serene home featuring a palette of soft blush hues, oatmeal tones and plenty of textural greys.
Setting the foundation for the whole apartment, Mar Plus Ask chose a polished concrete floor then rendered each wall in a chalky-smooth, stucco-style plaster. Inspired by the monastic qualities of the home’s 80-centimetre-thick walls and lofty ceilings overhead, Mar Plus Ask selected raw, earthy and natural materials that reflected a refined and quiet quality- without the sense of sterility that often accompanies a minimal home.
Ask AnkerAistrup inherited the ‘Safari’ chairs by Kaare Klint for Carl Hansen & Søn from his father. The ‘Piero’ coffee table by Joa Herrenknecht is from Bolia and the sofa is the .
Showcasing an enviable blend of vintage and new contemporary finds, Glogauer Strasse highlights warm oak timbers, accents of copper, worn tan leather and wicker which weave a tactile element through the home. Ask explains that it’s their unique European backgrounds that merged to form a Mediterranean influence in an otherwise classic Scandinavian design in a German setting “I’m Danish but love everything Mediterranean. Mar is Spanish and loves everything Nordic!”
Pale and interesting Glogauer Strasse is a lesson in delicacy and colour. A thoroughly contemporary transformation leaving no trace of the supermarket that once was, or the gritty Berlin streets outside- just a tranquil and refined retreat for two.
The kitchen from this home originally appeared in issue #32 of est magazine.
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