Locke sets sights on Berlin
Aparthotel brand Locke is set to open its third German property, Locke at East Side Gallery, in June 2023. With views overlooking the River Spree, the new opening will comprise 176 studio apartments, each equipped with kitchenettes and living areas, and many with a private balcony. Designed by Matthew Grzywinski of Grzywinski+Pons, the property will take design cues from its Berlin surroundings.
Each apartment will combine neutral tones, natural textures and raw concrete with playful pops of colour. Walls are set to be composed of timber panelling, with kiln-formed glass inspired by the surface of the Spree River acting as a partition to the bathroom. Furniture will include turmeric chairs, pastel mirrors and heavily braided grass rugs, juxtaposed with suede and rattan floor screens and bedheads. Bathrooms will feature back-painted black glass, while walls will continue with exposed structural concrete, softened with a powdery finish.
On the ground floor of the property will be Anima, an audiophile bar and restaurant. Inspired by Japan’s “Kissaten”, hi-fi cafes predating affordable home stereos, the venue will combine gastronomy with a love of music.
Anima will be connected with a cafe, co-working spaces and a reception lounge through non-continuous walls which, in a nod to the vestiges of the Berliner Mauer, are used as compositional elements, creating implicit “neighbourhoods” in the space. Stretching across the ground floor, built-in seating and planters are fabricated from locally-sourced bricks, comprised of recycled sand and lime, while furnishings follow a cohesive palette of timber, cane, fabric and cord, surrounded by verdant vegetation cascading from the ceiling.
“Locke at East Side Gallery is a very special project for us. Berlin is a city filled with history, creativity and innovation and we are excited to be bringing Locke to this incredible location. With a partnership already established with concept bar and restaurant Anima, we look forward to partnering with more local businesses and creating a space in which guests can fully immerse themselves in the culture of the city,” comments Eric Jafari, Chief Development Officer and Creative Director at edyn, Locke’s parent brand.
“The property itself has spectacular views across the city and over the River Spree, and with East Side Gallery and the neighbourhoods of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg on your doorstep, there really is no better location in which to explore Berlin.”
Locke at East Side Gallery will also offer a meeting and events space – which includes a rooftop terrace – and a 24-hour gym on the eighth floor, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows.
