Mensa Nord conversion of the former wash house of the Charité
into a new canteen of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2005-09
conversion of the historic wash house of the Charité into a canteen of the Humboldt-University in Berlin. the project proposal has succeeded in averting the planned demolition of the building and transforming it into a substantial building block within the northern university campus of the HU Berlin. based on an analysis of the building's development history, the multiple extensions and the associated optimisation of the wash house's functionality are read as a reflection of social and political change. based on this, the refectory is developed in a spatial sequence in which each structural extension of the building can be experienced as an independent area with a specifically assigned function.
to optimise the functionality of the canteen and embed the building in the urban context, the complex will be supplemented with a foyer extension, a dining hall facing the garden and a production kitchen.
the site functions as a production canteen with a capacity of up to 7.000 meals per day.
client: HU Berlin
structural engineering: GSE Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH