During the epoch of the German Democratic Republic, this building stood as an underwear factory, overlooking the nude beach of Lake Krampnitz. Peculiar, right? Well, peculiar sells. When production of undershirts and pants came to a halt after the fall of the Berlin wall, the abandoned space became a prime sight for post-apocalyptic films (and, as rumour has it, some soft-core porn). Recently, however, it’s emerged from the ruins as Brandlhuber+Emde, Schneider’s “Anti-Villa.” With relatively few changes made to the original structure and an adherence to the former-factory’s minimalistic design, this home redefines cool and proves that renovation need not always be a “beautifying” practice.
(Photography: Erica Overmeer)
