The high-rise buildings at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin

The Berlin skyscrapers at Potsdamer Platz remind Karim El-Barbari of his former home in New York City and that motivated the designer to move to the heart of the German capital after a 20 year interval. New York, Milan, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, London and Hamburg – the man with the exotic name (father Egyptian, mother from Saarland) has hardly left out a metropolis. Six years ago, the apartment with a view of Berlin’s nascent skyline only served as a storage for his household effects. Since then, the designer transformed it into a colourful living space composed of objects that have been taken of many periods: 18th century, French 1930’s and 1940’s, Bauhaus and pieces of the 1970’s. There was no single inch omitted.

Baroque armchairs and acrylic tables by Kartell – get the mix

Interior Designer Karim El-Barbari

MyStylery: Quiz: What is the secret behind the numeric code 8022 and 6013?
Karim El-Barbari (laughs): Two of my favourite RAL colours: 8022-Black brown, which I use instead of a true black, just as the ceiling of the kitchen and 6013-light reed green as the walls in my living room. My motto: People if you dare – more audacity to colour!

Karim El-Barbari combined China Cabinets and European antiques

MS: For that the apartment only served as a storage space, the location is rather exclusive…
KEB: That’s true. When I moved here the entire building was empty and no one wanted to move to this at the time No-Man’s-Land. At the beginning I only used the kitchen and the bedroom when I was in Berlin, a city I only barely knew. Then, one morning, when coming back from a trip to the US, I was overcome by a desire and began to unpack all of the boxes. I hung up paintings and unrolled carpets. Many of these things belonged to my parents, such as the Venini and Lalique vases or the porcelain by Rosenthal and Meissen.

Never alone: Vases by Venini, Lalique, Alexander Lamont, Meissen, Rosenthal Studio Line (vintage). The art is by Max Mertz

El-Barbari bought the brown sideboard in the Paris Galerie Vallois. The black bronze vases are from Alexander Lamont

MS: Is this your tip, not just to place one vase but immediately a whole bunch?
KEB: It’s a trick I learned from a famous interior designer in New York. You should always choose an uneven number, just like the seven Sistrah lamps hanging over my dining table. Only three of them are connected, but I felt that seven of them would look much cooler.

Persian rugs, everywhere you look. They all come from El-Barbaris parents

The golden lampstand is by Maison Jansen, the legendary tastemaker of the 20th century, now a rare collector’s item

“Antlers with garden Goblin” by Patrick Kroner over the linoleic print “Growing Up” by Berlin artist Oliver Kroll

MS: You mix Louis XVI chairs with chairs from the Bauhaus. You even find a spot for the “antlers with garden goblin” by placing them above a modern painting.
KEB (laughs): Oh, the antlers… well… At first, I put the antlers up there to remind me that I should never buy art just because it would help an artist friend. But over time, I actually started to like them as they have a fun sense of humor. Basically I follow Pippi Longstocking’s mantra: I am making my world as I like it.

El-Barbari placed the China-table at which Jacky Kennedy once played in front of the sofa from the TV series “Sex and the City”

MS: Your apartment has many comfortable seating arrangements. Where is your favourite place to sit down?
KEB: I love chilling on the beige sofa, which I got a long time ago through a friend who worked on the stage design of the then unknown TV series “Sex and the City”. Before I have never heard from Carrie & Co and I initially thought it was a porn production. They had two of them and the other one ended up at the apartment of Miranda Hobbes.

Everyone has curtains anyways! Here screens darken the bedroom

MS: Did you always have a liking to apartments with opulent arrangements?
KEB: No. I once had an apartment in New York, which I only decorated with furniture by Mies van der Rohe, Mackintosh Chairs and other contemporary designers. At the time, I got inspired by the movie 9 ½ weeks starring Mickey Rouke and the apartment of his character. That was pure purism and it was so unbelievably uncomfortable. The apartment was very photogenic, but I constantly had to clean it up. Over the years, I became more of a collector, although I think that my next move will be into a more minimal-decorated space.

Also in the bedroom a bunch of Art: Works by Max Mertz and Andrulat Degenhardt in Petersburg hanging

MS: Did you always work in interior design?
KEB: I actually started out in the fashion industry. But when living in New York in the 1990’s, I had many friends who looked for certain pieces of furniture and others who wanted to sell things from their apartments. So I started to place and mix their collections into my apartment and sell them. This was a great experience and my first step towards a career in interior design. I still love doing it to this day.

So cool: the SMEG fridge in Brit-Chic

MS: Tell me a little bit about some of the things that you collected over the years.
KEB: For example the small chinese coffee table out of the 18th century once belonged to a New York friend of mine. As a kid she used to sit on it drawing and playing with her babysitter. And the Babysitter was Jacky Kennedy. My SMEG refrigerator in a brit-look also tells a story: When living in Milan, I passed it daily on my way to work, before I finally decided to buy it years later. I follow the principle, when I buy something then it’s for myself and not to impress others.  BvH

Contact Karim El-Barbari:

http://kelbarbari@icloud.com

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The Straußberger Platz in Berlin-Mitte

I ring the bell, the door opens and Müller welcomes me fawning. Müller is a truly cute, black-white-fury, French bulldog and is used to the current stream of visitors. Most of the guests, who are giving themselves the handle at Straußberger Platz in Berlin-Mitte, are refugees, who Mueller’s master grants his private rooms to. By now, the warm-hearted man already hosted 54 people from eleven nations in his 112 square meters design flat. “I actually have a screw loose”, describes Andreas Tölke himself and his willingness to help. “I don’t know the people. Who knows, maybe you’ll get assassinated in your sleep.” Andreas Tölke grins and sips at his glass of water.

Bulldog Müller presents his toy. Tölke discovered chair and table with green felt at Villa Harteneck

Tölke, who is a confessed dyslexic, studied social worker, experienced waiter and proven model booker earns his money nowadays as demanded journalist with portraits about people, art and architecture – inter alia for ‘Welt am Sonntag’ and the ‘Lufthansa Magazin’. The passionate writer finds interviews with actors tedious. “They already talk enough and don’t have to say something to everything”, finds Tölke, the storyteller. “Sarah Jessica Parker was one of the few exceptions, as she has something to tell. But I don’t want to ask Iris Berben, how she’s coping with her age.”

Andreas Tölke in front of the original DDR-cupboard by architect Irene Henselmann, whose husband significantly designed the Karl-Marx-Allee and besides drafted the Television Tower

When Tölke, who originally comes from the Weserbergland, moved into his apartment at Straußberger Platz ten years ago, the area was dominated by vacancy. Nobody – and certainly nobody from the East – wanted to go there. How can you actually live here? This was a question even his estate agent asked him and noticed the background noise by the steady traffic stream. You get used to everything, says Tölke. By now the rents at Straußberger Platz increased twice and there’s a long waiting list of architecture fans that would love to move into the former showcase of the DDR. The longest, connected housing ensemble of the Karl-Marx-Allee already has a landmark status for a long time.

The living room: the big sofa by Armani Casa stands opposite the daybed. The floor lamp is by Serge Mouille, the table by Noguci, the pillows by Calvin Klein

Three rooms, kitchen, bathroom are the involvement of Tölke’s refugee-approved hideaway, which welcomes the guests in an entrée with a size of 18 square meters. 3 and a half meters big walls and double doors, originally obtained details like parquet flooring and Bakelite-handles: “Where does this still exist?” rejoices Tölke and pensively looks at the Berlin Television Tower, which rises directly in front of his window and looks especially attractive in the noon sun. And he admits: “For other apartments I’m definitely filthy.”

The sight of Benno Kraehahns ‘Namenloser Frauenakt’ (listless act of women) probably irritated one or another refugee: “I explained them, that here, nobody is upset with the sight of naked women.” At the kitchen table are chairs in a DDR design, a “stolen Panton-Version”. “There are no pressed table linen,” explains Tölke his men- and dog household. “And as long as I don’t have my dream table by Saarinen, the creased blanket will stay on the table!”

Tölke also fell in love with the house community that consists out of 120 neighbors. Here everybody knows everybody, one greets and one talks with each other. There’s a little exchange platform on the heating in the corridor. Things somebody doesn’t need anymore make someone else happy. From sweets to books or Christmas decorations. His hospitality towards refugees mobilized the neighborhood. Doors also open now for asylum seekers. “It works”, summarizes Tölke. “And it doesn’t cost a lot of effort and collects karma points.” BvH

Collecting karma points

This is Müller in front of his – sad to say – empty, but therefore chic, luxury feeding bowls by the designer Paul Smith, who personally sent them to Müller

Office-atmosphere

“This looks like a Bauhaus-furniture, doesn’t it?” comments Andreas Tölke on his black desk. He found the 70s lamp at a flea market, the chair ‘Softpad’ is from Eames

The legendary ‘Wingchair’, above an quarrel by Carla Primera

“The revolutionary trash is from China”, explains Tölke the ceramic figures. “Nowadays for sure a lot worth, but back then I got it for a very low price.”

“I allow everyone onto my Recamiere – exceptionally. But only as long as I want it to happen”, says Andreas Tölke. “I have to admit: I love luxury.” Next an ‘Artemide’-lamp in front of a picture by Munoz Balda

“I love luxury.”

Room with a coveted view: The Berlin Television Tower

Mister Tölke and Müller bed themselves in their bedroom on a modell by Ligne Roset, the sidetables are from Lambert, the table lamps by Tobias Grau

Above the ‘Swan-Chair’ in the corridor by Arne Jacobsen an aquarell by artist Oda Jaune

Art by Jörg Immendorff and Pjotr Nathan

Picture with pistol right next to Oliver Mark, on its left you can see works by Uwe Arens, the 50s lamp is a discovery from Munich

Also the apartment doors are original obtained in the house at Straußberger Platz

Contact and Infos:

beanangel.direct/

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Renovated old buildings or completely new architecture? Lots of new buildings arise in the Bauhaus-style

This time my destination is Tel Aviv. As a big architecture fan I was really looking forward to the trip, because the city is famous for its Bauhaus architecture and is therefore also called ‘White City’. Yet there aren’t many left overs of the ‘White City’. Houses with shiny, white facades are rather exceptional, most of the houses in the center of Tel Aviv are grey or brown, lots of them are about to fall into ruin. High humidity, heat and fumes do their remainder. I’m disappointed of the external Tel Aviv, because I can only recognize little parts of the former pearl of architecture, which was announced as world heritage by the UN-culture organization twelve years ago. But the charm of the city and its insights opens up to a very different and special way to me. Tel Aviv has something own, which attracts me magically.

To create financial incentives in terms of reorganization measures, householders are allowed to top up the buildings by two floors

Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier and Erich Mendelsohn were the architects who shaped the famous Bauhaus-style in the 1920s and 1930s in Weimar, Dessau and Berlin. European immigrants – among 20 Jewish architects from Germany – established the Bauhaus-style in uprising Tel Aviv: because one needed functional apartments for all the new immigrants in Palestine, so that the Bauhaus principle “form follows function” was perfectly suitable. Between 1933 and 1948, 4,000 buildings arose in clear, rounded forms with straight lines in the former desert. It is therefore a unique Bauhaus-Ensemble with more houses, than in Weimar, where the Bauhaus has been founded, and also than in Dessau, where it later moved to.

What a contrast: in the background a newly renovated house, the front building is threatened to lapse

In the summer it gets incredibly hot in Tel Aviv. Temperatures over 40 degrees are not from great rarity. Constructing in the Middle East therefore requires a different style than in Europe. Accordingly, architects consider generous balconies and horizontal slots in the balustrades to enable air circulation.

Only 1,600 to 4,000 buildings already got renovated

Only 1,600 to 4,000 buildings already got renovated – by now without any financial aid from the state. It’s the responsibility of the respective owner, to refurbish the houses. By now help has been announced from Germany: Barbara Hendricks, Minister for Construction, made a funding commitment of 2.8 Million Euros. I’m asking myself why no one acted earlier, to preserve the unique treasure of architecture of its complete decay. The UNESCO warned Israel earlier, that the world heritage could also get deprived again. Now Israel seems to be finally awake. BvH

Here, renovations are taken place. Finally!

Tip:
The Bauhaus Center offers guided tours or tours with audio guides through the White City
Dizengoff Straße 99
63461 Tel Aviv, Israel

www.bauhaus-center.com

From Jaffa I enjoy the view of the silhouette of Tel Aviv

Often I saw, that higher floors of a house are likely to ruin, but stores on the ground floor still open

The institute Francais on Rothschild Boulevard

Sparkling white: new building in the artist district Florentin

Awakening: This house had to wait years for his redevelopment

A successful renovation example on Rothschild Boulevard

The decay of a world heritage

A pearl of architecture decays – the graffiti scene has taken over

In the 1930s and 1940s, immigrants partly brought building materials from Germany. As Jews were not allowed to carry out money after 1933, they bought tiles, shutters and other things – to create a new homeland

Tel Aviv from above: View from the Levinstein Tower

Bauhaus-typical elements have been integrated into the architecture of the Habimah Theatre on Sderot Tarsat in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Old and new buildings in harmony on Dizengoff Square

The former cinema Esther at Dizengoff square – nowadays a design hotel

Architects consider generous balconies and horizontal slots in the balustrades to enable air circulation

Exterior views

World heritage needs governmental aid

Form follows function

Tel Aviv stands still since its establishment in 1909. Today, the city seems to equal a construction site in many districts

The heritage of the European immigrants, who set up their new home in Israel, is threatening to decay

The humid air, that breeze from the Mediterranean Sea into the town, speeds up the flaking of the plaster

Skyline of Tel Aviv and blue sea

Impressive architecture of Ben Gurion-Airport, named after Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion

It’s nearly good again: A relict from the late 60s: the Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv, wonderfully located in the Independence-Park next to the promenade

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“DDR limited”: The distinctive life and style of East Berlin’s grand former socialist boulevard, the Karl-Marx-Allee and where it originates, the Strausberger Platz. Gestalten Verlag, Hardcover, 176 pages, 29,90 Euro Photo: Central Berlin, DDR Limited”, ©Skjerven

This book is a journey for all architecture fans and devoted to the buildings of the Karl-Marx-Allee and thus the most monumental construction project of the former GDR. Fascinating and great: “DDR limited” also includes some sentimental sensitives: The Norwegian scent expert Sissel Tolaas appeals to the senses of smell and takes the reader through impregnated pages to the smell of Berlin from then and now.

Instead of the austere Bauhaus tradition, the architects kept to the socialist classicism which also coined the Moscow skyline. Here the “Mocha Milk Bar”, Karl-Marx-Allee 35. Photo: Central Berlin, “DDR limited”, ©Skjerven

As a “showcase of socialism”, the Stalin Allee has been designed between 1952 and 1958 on the Soviet model to become the architectural symbol of the workers ‘and peasants’ state. With the in 1961 renamed Karl-Marx-Allee, the SED clarified the Stalin Allee to an extensive Sovietization of Berlin, which did not stop – even after urban development. The avenue with its broad green stripes, is framed by striking seven to nine-story residential and office buildings and was a representative march-past and parade route to the socialist Berlin.

The “Interflor” flower shop at Karl-Marx-Allee 32. Photo: “DDR limited”, ©Skjerven

In addition to the historical photographs of the book, “DDR limited” also presents the interior and living concepts of the present inhabitants. Although most homes are only equipped with two or three rooms, it becomes clear that the classics of DDR designs combine with Western counterparts and the current furniture matches. In fact, the architecture around the Strausberger Platz today appears modern and aesthetically – if one disregards the ideological aspect of the builders – making it one of the sought-after residential areas of Berlin. BvH

One of the both tower houses at the Frankfurter Tor – which was meant as a tribute to the Domkuppeln on Gendarmenmarkt – with its 30-meter high columns dome, there is an exclusive townhouse on three floors of 40 square meters each. The domed hall is twelve meters high and has a balcony, wrapped around the building, from which you can enjoy a stunning panoramic view of Berlin. Photo: “DDR limited”, ©Skjerven

“DDR limited” is an inspiring Coffee Table Book of the art directors André Wyst and Stephan Schilgen with photos by Jens Bösenberg. This pic shows a Schicht-daybed from 1953, Pilastro-florlamp and Aalto stool. Painting “Neuschwanstein III” by Arnim Boehm. Photo: “DDR limited”, Central Berlin, ©Skjerven

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The Linari residence in Hamburg’s district Groß Flottbek

When I turned into the calm side street in the chic Hamburg district Groß Flottbek I immediately knew: this must be the place! The minimalistic cube midst the so-called Hamburg coffee grinder (this is how the members of the Hanseatic League of the 1920s and 1930s called the red-brick villas with their quadratic ground plans) immediately catches ones attention. It’s therefore no wonder that Hamburger Rainer Diersche had to render diverse opinions of experts for the building license of his 520 square meters exceptional house. Diersche, qualified industrial engineer and product designer, did not only realise a multiple architectural highlight with this house, but also integrated the anthracite coloured new building into the stock development. But entrepreneur Rainer Diersche does not only have an eye for architecture: Diersche creates luxury room fragrances and perfumes with his label Linari

Entrepreneur and product designer Rainer Diersche in his study. Also from here there is a line of sight to the outside

A portrait of Diersche’s father by the Hamburg painter Erich Hartmann

MyStylery: It smells so lovely in here. What is it?
Rainer Diersche: This is the fragrance “Estate” from the LINARI-collection. We have an area-fragrancing: scents will be fed via the ventilation system and are created after my ideas of perfumers in Germany and Paris. I choose the scent depending on my mood. Without it nothing works.

The sofa in the livingroom is from B&B Italia, the upholstery fabrics for all pillows, chairs and bed heads from Kvadrat

MS: You learned banker, then studied economics. How do you get a fragrance entrepreneur?
RD: I was already affine after scents as a child. Later on I had a store at the Stilwerk and realised, how big the demand of design is. That brought me to the idea to create demanding fragrances with a good design. By the way our biggest foreign market is Japan. There, the ingredients are being strongly controlled, for example how scents operate on dog nose. I do especially attach importance to the packaging as well as the content. Although I sometimes get tears in my eyes when I’m thinking about the costs. (laughs)

The Danish clinker of the mantelpiece can also be found in the exterior façade. White leather chairs are from COR

MS: Regarding the planning of your house you were similar uncompromisingly.
RD: Yes, that’s right. The actual thought was to design the house as minimalistic and ecologically as possible. We use geothermal energy for the floor heating and power supply. Most important are good materials, their harmony and a consequent implementation. The clinker at the fireplace is the same that has been used for the external façade. Also the floor tile has been laid inside and outside, including a continuous alignment in the jointing.

The illuminated handrail of varnished oak leads to the first floor

The Bengal cats Gucci and Prada

MS: This sounds pretty perfectionist.
RD: I’m consequent. If I do something, I do it right.
MS: Is it actually always so tidy at yours?
RD: (laughs) Yes, its a little bit like in a museum. And it’s still comfortable. If you decide for a minimalistic construction, then a certain living-tidiness belongs to it.

For bed frame and head Rainer Diersche chose a felt fabric from Kvadrat

Next to the flat screen in the master bedroom, is a portrait of the Hamburg painter Erich Hartmann. It shows his wife

MS: In this area rules a structural provision made to safeguard existing standards, a so-called constituent Ensemble. Your modern way of construction probably didn’t only bring you new friends in the neighbourhood.
RD: At this place didn’t stand a coffee grinder like the other neighbour houses, instead there was a house that was not renovated. We had to knock it down. Our compromise was the dependence to the Bauhaus-style. Surely there’s also a lot of gossip. I’m proud of what I established. We evidently live in a community with envy. And that’s a petty. BvH

Varnished oak has been used for stairs, handrails and internal cupboards

Also the master bath is equipped with Ligurian slate

Rainer Diersche in the summer kitchen on the top floor of the house, where he also hosts guests on the adjacent terrace

The washbasins are made of Corean

Bengal cat Gucci enjoys the cooling stone tiles

The kitchen is from Strato, the work surfaces out of stainless steel and Nero Assoluto as well as Corean, bar stool “Lem” from La Palma

It seems logical that a real Hamburg need to have chairs with the name “Alster”. Table and chairs from Ligne Roset

The Biedermeier-commode from 1820 chose Diersche “to exclude the strength”. Silver chandelier and vase are from Christofle. “The vase is special, thereof only exist 20 pieces worldwide.”

Oil painting from Erich Hartmann, who belonged to the artists’ association “Hamburger Sezession” in the 1920s. Diersche inherited it from his father and complemented the collection with additional purchases

Ligurian slate has been used for the wine cellar

Rainer Diersche designed the sauna according to his specifications. It is illuminated by a colored light system

The whole living- and outdoor area has l m x l m limestone-tiles

The minimalistic cube emerged in collaboration with the Hamburg Dibelius architect. 520 square meters spread onto two floors plus cellar on a 957 square meters property

Contact:
www.linari.com

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