GSS ONE

On Geschwister-Scholl-Strasse, directly opposite Schlosspark Sanssouci, stands an ensemble of five buildings. Three are listed villas restored to the requirements of Potsdam heritage conservation — among them Villa Michaelis, built in 1915/16 for the Berlin manufacturer Max Michaelis. Two new buildings in villa style complete the quarter, around 650 m² each.

The work on the existing buildings followed the findings, not the drawing: façades, stucco, window subdivisions and stairwells were restored to their historic model. The generous plans of the villas have become smaller apartments — living space that settles into the existing structure rather than dividing it. The two new buildings offer high-end units and take up the villa motif in scale, material and roofline.

That the ensemble reads as a whole comes down to consultation from the outset: Potsdam heritage conservation was part of the project work from the first sketch, not a process added at the end. Completed, with a sales volume of €22.5 million.

The photographs show Villa Michaelis during restoration and once complete. Image credit: LXK Architekten, Potsdam.