This former chocolate factory, built in 1870, has held a notorious reputation since the 1970s, not least because of its wild living communities. The central location in “Kreuzkölln”, an increasingly sought-after area on the border between Neukölln and Kreuzberg, makes the development particularly interesting for those on the hunt for apartments. It has only been a couple of years since the building put its wild past behind it; now most of the floors are owned privately. This is the case with

Apartment H

which has been occupied as a shared flat by the daughter of the owner for the last two years. When the supporting iron structure of the apartment was brought up to date with modern fire-safety standards, the opportunity arose to carry out extensive renovations to living spaces, making them fit for the decades to come.

The former chocolate factory is one of the oldest industrial buildings in the area. Chocolate was produced there from 1926 until 1973. In 1976/77, the building gained

notoriety

when, against the agreement of the district, the owner decided to allow the building to be converted to living accommodation. Many threatened evictions were never carried out and in following years the building continued to be used (and talked about) for house parties, hosting the first Turkish Cultural Center, as well as the "Klecks" children’s theater. It was only in the 1990s/early 2000s that the conversion to individual living spaces really began. Alongside the new fire-safety plans for the separate apartments, which included the addition of the unsightly fire escapes built onto the facade, the raw material of the building was assessed and prepared for future work. Thankfully, during this work no major, character-destroying interventions were made to the original substance of the building, despite it not being historically listed at the time.

All the new build-in elements were kept minimal and unimposing, particularly effective are the

flush,

frameless white doors.

One of the rooms

before the renovation.

Pulling up the laminate flooring in here also revealed a fantastic original tiled floor.

In the shower room, new surfaces were added and all the interior walls and surfaces were covered with traditional

Moroccan plastering.

Because of the incorporation of small stones, this waterproof yet breathable material gives the surfaces a slightly reflective appearance. The light beige color of the plaster and the rounded edges, together with the visible traces of the workmanship involved in its application, create a calming atmosphere.