Nestled against Berlin’s storied East Side Gallery, the Locke hotel designed by Grzywinski+Pons is a vibrant blend of history, artistry and modern hospitality. Situated along the longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall, this 176-room hotel goes beyond typical design boundaries, incorporating a café, bar, lounge, co-working areas, and event spaces into a venue that fosters exchange, community, and reflection.
At the heart of Berlin’s Friedrichshain neighbourhood, this former symbol of division is now a cultural crossroads, reflecting a new paradigm for interaction and inclusion. The hotel’s design intentionally plays on this inversion, transforming remnants of repression into a celebration of global artistic expression. Designed as a series of site-specific thresholds, the building explores the interplay between public and private, art and commerce, creating a “microcosm of Berlin” where visibility, circulation, and access are unrestricted. Inspired by the nearby East Side Gallery’s powerful blend of history and artistry, Grzywinski+Pons introduces “neighbourhoods” through fragmented walls and open sightlines, allowing guests and residents alike to traverse this richly layered space.
The Locke’s material choices mirror its ethos, with structural concrete walls and high ceilings giving way to warmer, tactile touches like timber, onyx, and zellige tile at lower eye levels. Open-plan seating, complemented by demi-walls, ombre curtains, and soft lighting, gently compartmentalises the expansive ground floor while maintaining cohesion. Vegetation spills from planters and cascades from above, enhancing the natural ambience.
Guest rooms reflect a thoughtful interplay of privacy and liminality, balancing movement and tranquillity. Facing either the bustling Muhlenstrasse or the serene Spree River, these spaces embody Berlin’s contrasting energies. Grzywinski+Pons designed a “wall-as-threshold” for each room, incorporating practical elements like wardrobes and kitchenettes, as well as aesthetic details like kiln-formed glass that reflects the rippling Spree. Custom furnishings, from turmeric chairs to pastel mirrors, offer warmth and texture while neutral tones unify the décor, celebrating Berlin’s multifaceted spirit.
Locke at East Side Gallery stands as both a haven and a homage to Berlin’s complex legacy, inviting guests to participate in a uniquely immersive experience where past and present converge seamlessly.
Images by Nicolas Worley via ArchDaily
Aussie designer Tom Fereday has collaborated with audio brand Pitt & Giblin to create the Cast speaker, clad almost entirely in marine-grade aluminium, ...
For Aesop's first retail space in Suzhou, China, the Qing-dynasty era Phoenix Hall was meticulously restored, with the ...
While pizzeria Wildcrust Pizza resides is LA, designer Jared Frank Studio wanted to take design cues from Milan ...
The Aden Grove house in east London had been revamped by studio Emil Eve Architects, adding a loft ...
Eyrie House utilised its position at the top of a slope to create an architectural take on an ...
Specifier Source is brought to you by the same company that publishes Home Design, Grand Designs Australia Magazine, Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly Magazine, Outdoor Design Source, Build Home, CompleteHome and many more.