Meininger Hotel am Postbahnhof
The new hotel building was completed in close proximity to the historical Postbahnhof in Berlin – located in a rapidly developing business and commercial area in the eastern part of the city, between the eastern hub Ostbahnhof and the Mercedes-Benz-Arena. Having an over ground footprint of approximately 7.280 square metres the new construction with 245 rooms on seven to ten floors is a solitaire. The tower part with 36 metres height is an urban dominant complemented by a lower part having 26 metres height. The underground floor provides a parking with 15 parking lots. The U-shaped footprint allowed integrating a representative inner court yard.
While the façade of the ground floor and the first floor is mainly glazed and structured by pillars and pilasters, it is clad with the shell limestone Kohlplatter Muschelkalk from the second floor upwards. Fluted pilasters going over two floors give the building its vertical structure. Roomhigh narrow windows are placed irregularly within this pattern countering the volumes massive appearance. Continuous horizontal ribbons encircle the building in each storey. And finally the complexity of the fine natural stone surface itself contributes to the diversity of the façade.
The reinforced concrete construction with flat slabs allowed flexible floor plans as well as the possibility to change unities according to particular user wishes after the occupation as well.