Spore Initiative in Berlin by AFF Architekten

A partially recycled brick facade and an unusual ribbed concrete ceiling are just two of the special features that characterise the headquarters of a cultural and environmental organisation.

Urban yet green – this is how the area east of Berlin's disused Tempelhof Airport can be summed up. The numerous cemeteries in the area make up a large part of the greenery. The headquarters of the Spore initiative is also surrounded by park-like cemeteries on the busy Hermannstrasse.

Together with the Publix building for non-profit journalism to the south, which is still under construction, the new Spore building frames the entrance to the historic Jerusalem cemetery. The neighbouring building was also designed by AFF Architects. In front of the cemetery gate, the two buildings are set back from the street to form a small forecourt. A further setback provides space for a landmarked lamppost, which once marked the approach to Tempelhof for aeroplanes.  

Brick and exposed concrete – tone on tone

The red brick and concrete facades of the Spore Initiative are modelled on the historic cemetery buildings and stand out from the plastered Gründerzeit buildings in the area. Their three-part horizontal layering reflects the uses of the building: The ground floor houses the foyer, a café and a semi-subterranean auditorium behind structural glass facades and red exposed concrete. Above this, behind reclaimed brickwork, is an exhibition floor.

The geometry of the concrete ribs follows the flow of forces in the ceiling. © Tjark Spille

Large, ceiling-high museum windows open the rooms to the outside in some places. At the top of the building are two floors of new, flatter brickwork in a more uniform shade of red. These contain the museum's own library, studios and workshops, offices and several guest apartments for artists. On the flatter northern part of the building, in front of the public workshop area, there is a roof terrace.

Oak and exposed concrete are the dominant materials on the upper floors. © Hans-Christian Schink

Efficiently shaped ribbed ceiling

Oak and exposed concrete are the dominant materials in the interiors. Wherever possible, the architects have avoided the use of coatings. On the ground floor, a wide-span ribbed ceiling in reinforced concrete catches the eye. The digitally optimised arrangement of the ribs follows the distribution of forces in the ceiling, so that only a minimum of material was required: with spans of up to 12 m, the ceiling thickness is 14 cm on average, and the ribs themselves are 38 cm high. Even the folding wall separating the auditorium from the foyer follows the curved ribs.

Ribbed concrete ceiling, © Hans-Christian Schink

Recycling

AFF Architects used recycled materials not only for the facades: some of the formwork timber for the ribbed ceilings is now used in a pavilion on the roof terrace. The wooden seat shells in the auditorium and the washbasins in the building also have a life cycle behind them.

Find out more in Detail 4.2025 and in our databank Detail Inspiration.