Neubau Apartment in Berlin is a minimalist apartment located in Berlin, Germany, designed by AFFIN. The dining table, a horizontal plane of carefully selected timber, serves as more than mere furniture – it becomes a narrative anchor that bridges cultural influences while exemplifying the space’s commitment to material authenticity.

The design reveals itself gradually, beginning with a compelling wooden wall that guides visitors through the space like a thread of contemplative circulation borrowed from traditional Japanese architecture. This processional quality, reminiscent of the sequential reveals in works by Lina Bo Bardi, demonstrates how circulation can become a tool for spatial storytelling.

At the heart of the apartment, the kitchen emerges as a study in material dialogue. The carpenter-crafted cherry wood cabinetry floats in conversation with a brushed steel island, creating a dynamic interplay between warmth and industrial precision. This careful orchestration of materials speaks to a larger design philosophy where every element serves both functional and aesthetic purposes.

The joinery wall stands as perhaps the most technically ambitious element – a highly engineered solution that conceals multiple programs behind a unified facade. Its execution required exceptional craftsmanship to achieve seamless integration of doors, storage, and kitchen elements. This architectural feature draws inspiration from both Japanese concepts of hidden utility and modernist principles of clean lines and honest materials.

The material palette operates on a principle of considered contrasts: the industrial character of exposed concrete and brushed steel plays against the organic warmth of cherry wood, while Italian limestone provides subtle textural variation. The limeplaster floors offer a contemporary interpretation of traditional surfacing techniques, creating a continuous plane that unifies the space while providing subtle variations in light reflection.

Light itself becomes a material in the double-height living space, where linen curtains act as transformative scrims that modulate natural illumination throughout the day. This treatment of light as a dynamic design element recalls the work of Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, particularly his observations on the importance of shadow and filtered light in Japanese aesthetics.