All Under One Roof

In a complex transformation, the Basel-based architecture firm Focketyn del Rio Studio converted the main building of Berlin’s former military barracks into a vibrant cultural and creative hub. Situated on the embankment of the Rhine, already a nightlife hotspot, it offers some 32,000 square feet of work and project spaces, a spacious plaza, a theatre hall, as well as a bar and restaurant.

All Under One Roof documents the building’s new architecture in detail and tells the story of Focketyn del Rio Studio, which won the competition for rebuilding the Kaserne Basel. Interviews, concise texts, photographs, as well as plans and drawings, provide insight into the evolution of the project, the history of the old barracks, and the process of its redesign. In addition, it uses the barrack conversion as a way to discuss key questions about the design and use of urban public spaces more broadly.