When? Karim Al-Ishmawi When he was a child he often visited a house located in a small town in Bavaria, Germany. The memorable residence, integrated into the mountainside, was designed by Hans Ziegler. Vast and multi-layered inside, the structure is barely visible from the outside, and to the young El-Ishmawy it was the equivalent of a cave. As soon as he discovered it, his interest in architecture was awakened.
As a teenager, Karim Al-Ishmawi experimented with various forms of expression, from graffiti and film to installation. The former East Berlin during the 1990s was a place where his imagination was allowed to flourish.
Karim Al-Ishmawi \\ Photo: Sebastian Dorkan
Along with his friends (and co-founders) Chris Middleton and Martin Jacobs, El-Ishmawy was able to experiment and explore in new ways. “My passion has always been creativity in a collective way,” he says. “Just putting ideas into practice seems to be a natural occurrence in this group. I am convinced that these two people have unleashed my inspiration and creativity more than my parents or anyone else.”
El-Ishamawi’s career never took off, but the trio was founded in 2005 KinzoKnown for its holistic and participatory design approach, the team envisions new living and working environments. Responsible for project management and strategy, El-Ishamawy plans every aspect from the perspective of future users.
No matter what he dreams up, the end result is better because of the collaboration with Jacobs and Middleton. “We just follow what comes up and is interesting,” says El-Ishamawy. “It is certainly easier to create a team of experts with clearly defined skills and a business plan within an existing network of parents and acquaintances. But the feeling of doing something like this with friends is unbeatable.”
Today, we are joined by Karim Al-Ishamawi friday five,
Photo: Karim Al-Ishamawi
1. alvaro siza Boa Nova Tea Pavilion (1963)
My partner Chris and I often go on vacations with our families. Recently we were in the Porto area in Portugal. For architects, it is a place of pilgrimage, and for families, simply an excellent experience. Siza’s projects in and around the city are integrated into the landscape as well as everyday life. Take, for example, the pools at the Boa Nova Tea House or Leça da Palmeira: they are remarkably beautiful and yet somehow feel generous and modest.
Photo: Karim Al-Ishmawi
This is such a Berlin collaboration! Together with the fashion/art project BLESS, architect Sam Chermayeff equipped a classic Mercedes-Benz to create a mobile sauna with an interior made of wooden beads and a stove in the trunk – the Saunarider will be seen for the last time at the Salon in Milan in 2023. Was seen in. Hot fuck!
Photo: Karim Al-Ishmawi
In 2015, I spent some time in Boston because I was a visiting professor at the Wentworth Institute. My first tour of the city took me straight to a Brutalist icon. I wonder how close the ugly and the sublime can be.
Photo: Karim Al-Ishmawi
What started as a very standard business trip to Aarhus soon turned into an icon of aesthetic sensory modulation: a visit to Olafur Eliasson’s spectral circle above the AROS Art Museum.
Photo: Andrea Bonso
I saw this installation at Alcova during Milan Design Week 2023: The interior of a former cold storage room was completely covered with metal sheets, and the reflection of light caused by oxidation and dyeing made me feel as if I was in a kaleidoscope. Was in. The folks at design studio Matrica applied real-metal coatings to each material to great effect. Dazzling and mesmerizing!
Works by Kinzo:
Photo: Sebastian Dorken
Admiralspalast (2023)
The Admiralspalast, located on Berlin’s FriedrichstraSe, an iconic building from 1911, has been transformed by Kinzo Architekten into the headquarters of a digital service provider. The project combines the building’s rich history with a visionary workspace. Originally featuring an ice skating rink, bowling alleys, a cinema and a Roman-Russian spa, the Admiralspalast symbolized the opulence of Berlin’s Golden Twenties. Kinzo Architekten has preserved and integrated historical elements such as art nouveau mosaics and art deco windows into the new design, creating a unique blend of past and present. The redesigned office spans three floors, providing spaces for collaboration, retreats and personal work, aimed at welcoming employees back from remote work. Highlights include a communal area with a bench analogous to the former women’s pool, a relaxation room adapted for modern use and a large hall with a perimeter gallery and various themed rooms.
Photo: Schnepp Renau
Das Center Potsdamer Platz (2024)
Kinzo Architekten revitalized the Sony Center in Potsdamer Platz, transforming it into a dynamic center for community and participation. The overall placemaking concept enhances Potsdamer Platz as a vibrant meeting place for visitors and an attractive location for businesses, retailers and restaurants. The project involved developing goal-oriented use formats for commercial and public spaces to seamlessly reintegrate the site into the urban fabric. Lobby D, once only a transit space, now offers two floors of work and meeting areas, including a separate workshop room. The renovation included tearing down the interior façade and raising the mezzanine ceiling. Additionally, the Passerelle was converted into a bicycle parking area with space for over 200 bicycles, connecting the Potsdamer Platz subway and S-Bahn station to the Sony Center Forum.
Photo: Sebastian Dorken
Nike One Central Headquarters (2020)
The Nike Central Headquarters, located in Berlin-Friedrichshain, integrates seamlessly into the urban fabric of the neighborhood, creating a diverse office complex for up to 300 employees. It includes flexible work areas, influencer and athlete spaces, showrooms and sports facilities. The building, a mixture of an old carpentry workshop and new constructions, is transformed from an intact old structure to a partially new middle section and a completely new third part that matches the original façade. The complex includes the City Hub, a central café and reception area next to an outdoor basketball court and a roof terrace with urban gardening. Only 30% of the space is standard office area, emphasizing a dynamic and active work environment. Recycled materials and finishes reflect the brand’s origins and philosophy, with distinct Nike and Converse branding.
Photo: Schnepp Renau
Postfuhrmat (2022)
After various interim uses in Berlin’s art, culture and club scene, the Kaiserliches Postfuhramt, a former post office, was acquired by a new owner in 2012 and has since been renovated. Transformed by Kinzo IIT as both an architectural and historic preservation project, it now serves as an innovation center for a medical technology company, featuring exhibition, conference and training rooms. Kinzo’s role extended beyond interior design to exploring and mapping the building’s layers, which were carefully restored by conservators to integrate the historic pieces into the overall design. New elements emphasize the use of steel, either raw or matte black, reflecting Postfuhrmatt’s industrial heritage. The redesigned workspaces are intended to support flexible team and project structures, exemplified in Atari’s iLofts, which offer versatile office space, meeting rooms, lounges, retreats, and a library. Historical fragmentation can be felt and partly visible, blending harmoniously with contemporary interventions.
