Unité d'Habitation Berlin

Le Corbusier designed several variations of the Unité d’Habitation, the most famous of which is in Marseille, France. All were derived from Le Corbusier’s visionary 1922 city plan, known as Ville Contemporaine. The plan envisioned massive residential blocks set in open green areas — towers in parks, bringing light and air to the residents of urban housing. The Unité type was most notable for its creation of internal streets and accommodation of social and communal functions: kindergartens, medical facilities, recreational spaces, all within the housing block. The Berlin Unité lacks most of the amenities (save a shop and a post office on the ground floor), but is considered unique for its more generously-sized apartments. It accommodates 530 units on 17 floors. The internal streets here are oppressive, windowless corridors. Still, the building is in quite good condition; its hilltop setting, iconic formal qualities, and polychromatic façades are very striking (text from Galinsky.com).