david chipperfield plans marina apartments along wooded lakeshore

david chipperfield architects and landscape architect enzo enea reveal images of their ongoing project titled ‘marina apartments.’ berlin-based real estate developer artprojekt group has announces the start of sales for the the exclusive residential retreat, which will open along the nearly untouched natural shoreline of lake scharmützelsee in the german town of bad saarow.

all images by bloomimages

david chipperfield architects and landscape architect enzo enea situate the marina apartments an hour from berlin among a forested region defined by its lakes and postcard landscapes. listed by artprojekt group, the apartments are now being built in a dreamy bay on the western shore of lake scharmützelsee. the project is envisioned to express a modern architecture in harmony with nature. david chipperfield notes: ‘the location is more important than the architecture.’

the marina apartments are defined as a collection of five cubic structures playfully distributed across a private pine forest that slopes downward to the lake. four of the buildings in solid construction host 45 vacation apartments. their volumes are offset from one another and are arranged on three to four floors. the vertical façade formwork in dark wood reflects the color spectrum of the surrounding forest.

full height glazing, balconies and roof terraces provide a wide view of the water and the planned marina. a fifth two-story building with eight condominiums complements the ensemble to the north and and stands out with gray masonry natural stone and strong gables. oriented slightly towards the lake, the terraces and balconies open to the south.

the marina apartments express an almost urban aesthetic while the buildings seem to merge with nature with their curtain wall wooden façade, flat roofs and transparent glass fronts. david chipperfield architects achieves this effect through a balance of minimalist spatial structures, regional sustainable natural materials, wide transitions between the individual living areas, and visual axes oriented to landscape and light.