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Last weekend, the Bötzow Brewery site in Berlin opened its doors to the public as part of Berlin’s Heritage Days, an annual event where usually closed buildings are temporarily opened to visitors. Guided tours through the premises, led by architects from David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, were offered as part of the event.

A theme of this year’s Heritage Days was sustainability – a topic also strongly reflected in the refurbishment of the Bötzow Brewery. The ensemble of buildings, initially opened in 1885, is being refurbished by David Chipperfield Architects Berlin in close cooperation with the heritage authorities to accommodate new functions. Enhancing the life cycle of a building contributes greatly to sustainable development as demolitions and new constructions are thereby avoided, which in turn helps to save resources and reduce CO2 emissions. In addition, older buildings are characterized by traditional and more regional building materials that are practically contaminant free and can be produced with relatively little energy.

Berlin’s Heritage Days take place annually on every second weekend of September. This year over 270 historic monuments all over the city opened their doors to the public via a diverse program of guided tours and lectures.

Image © Marion Schoenenberger for David Chipperfield Architects