felix loechner captures the fragmented façades of OMA's axel springer building in berlin

for his most recent photography series, felix loechner focuses his lens on the OMA-designed axel springer building in berlin. completed in 2020, the monumental media campus provides 52,000 sqm (559,723 sqft) of workspace for more than 3,000 of the publishing company’s employees. in these images, loechner guides viewers around the massive structure, highlighting the glazed elevational treatment that seems to burst open in places to reveal the 45-meter (148 ft) tall atrium that lies inside. 

images ©  felix loechner architekturfotografie

shot during both the day and night, loechner‘s photographic essay shows the two distinct characters of the axel springer building. during the daytime, the tinted glass panels that clad the building and the faceted glazing of the atrium reflect the surrounding context of berlin’s zimmerstraße and the sky above. then, when night falls, the architecture turns into a beacon on the cityscape and OMA‘s ‘open and transparent’ design concept shines as the fragmented glass that wraps around the internal atrium becomes more prominent. 

as well as looking at OMA’s impressive elevational treatment from afar, loechner also zooms in to the human scale at ground level. by shooting the street level up close, which steps back from the main façade, the photographer gives a glimpse of how the architecture is experienced by passersby in the german capital.  

you can see more photography series by felix loechner on designboom here, including david chipperfield’s james simon galerie and 3XN’s sculptural cube berlin.

project info:

name: axel springer campus, berlin, germany

location: berlin, germany 

client: axel springer SE

architect: OMA

photography: felix loechner architekturfotografie