San Riemo Residential Building Is Germany’s Most Outstanding Building For 2022

The DAM Prize for Architecture awards the San Riemo residential building in Munich for this year. ARGE SUMMACUMFEMMER BÜRO JULIANE GREB designs this cooperative housing project for their client Kooperative Grossstadt. This is the first project of the cooperative founded in 2015. The DAM Prize gives awards to outstanding structures in Germany annually since 2007.

The San Riemo residential building’s exterior is a blend of polycarbonate panels, glass, and movable French doors. With light colors like turquoise and white painted on the exterior, the building is aesthetically pleasing and radiates a gentle yet playful vibe.

The five floors dedicated to private dwellings contain 27 apartments that are categorized into three types: The Basic, Branch, and the Nucleus. The Basic has a layout close to the traditional apartments. It has decent private spaces on the facade and common spaces in the middle of the plan. The Branch on the other hand has a layout of smaller private rooms but bigger communal areas. Lastly, they have the Nucleus whose experimental layout “gives space” to a pool whose use can be modified.
Each layout caters to different lifestyles, and that is what makes the building dynamic.

The building also has a common lobby for the residents, as well as a commercial space. All located on the ground floor, the communal area has a kitchen, laundry, and storage space. On the topmost floor are the rooftop garden and a summer kitchen.

On why the San Riemo project won the DAM Prize for Architecture 2022:

“San Riemo won us over with its refined living options and floor plans, not to mention its fine architectural language. It’s more than just a place to live – this is where communities are built and communal living brings people together.”

Kristina Egbers, DAM Prize for Architecture juror

Photo credits: Petter Krag, Florian Summa