Architecture as Lineage: Inside Aeyde Haus on Berlin’s Karl-Marx-Allee

Main Facts

Berlin’s architectural landscape has long been defined by the physical scars and ideological monuments of its turbulent 20th century. Among the most striking physical manifestations of this history is Karl-Marx-Allee, a monumental boulevard in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Mitte that stands as Europe’s premier surviving showcase of 1950s Socialist Classicism. Today, this ideological corridor has found a new kind of cultural relevance. Marking a decade of rapid international growth, contemporary footwear and accessories powerhouse Aeyde has established its permanent headquarters here, opening Aeyde Haus inside the historic Haus des Kindes ("House of the Child").

Spanning three interconnected levels, Aeyde Haus functions as a dynamic hybrid space: part corporate headquarters, part design atelier, part research library, and part high-end showroom. To translate the brand’s minimalist, modernist ethos into a physical environment, founder and creative director Luisa Dames turned to the internationally acclaimed Berlin architecture and scenography practice Gonzalez Haase AAS. Founded in 1999 by Judith Haase and Pierre Jorge Gonzalez—whose portfolio includes physical identities for high-profile fashion houses like Balenciaga and 032c—the studio approached the project through an ethos of radical subtraction.

Rather than masking the building’s heavy post-war origins with superficial finishes, Gonzalez Haase AAS stripped away decades of accumulated modifications. They exposed the raw, prefabricated reinforced concrete skeleton of the 1954 landmark, creating a soaring, light-filled volume. The resulting workspace bridges two eras of Berlin’s design history: the monumental civic ambitions of the former East German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the understated, material-forward modernism of a contemporary global fashion brand.

Chronology: From Socialist Monument to Modern Atelier

1954: The Birth of Haus des Kindes

The architectural narrative of Aeyde Haus begins over seventy years ago. Completed in 1954, the Haus des Kindes was envisioned as a utopian civic center rising 70 meters high across 13 stories, anchoring Strausberger Platz. Conceived during the early post-war reconstruction of East Berlin, the building was designed primarily by Hermann Henselmann, a towering figure in East German architecture who also shaped the urban vision of Alexanderplatz.

While Henselmann provided the monumental exterior proportions and structural rigor characteristic of Socialist Classicism, the interiors were largely developed by his wife and creative partner, Irene Henselmann. Though historically marginalized in architectural credits, Irene Henselmann introduced a crucial human register to the imposing structure—infusing the spaces with material refinement, human-scaled proportions, and thoughtful details like custom staircases and polished chrome handrails.

Decades of Transition

In the decades following its completion, the building witnessed the shifting tides of German history—from the height of the Eastern Bloc through reunification and into Berlin’s contemporary era as a magnet for global creative industries. Over time, interior partitions, suspended ceilings, and miscellaneous commercial layers accumulated within the grand spaces, obscuring the original structural clarity envisioned by the Henselmanns. Interestingly, the site also holds personal significance for Gonzalez Haase AAS, who previously maintained their own architecture office within the Haus des Kindes, granting them an intimate, lived-in familiarity with the building’s latent spatial logic.

2024–2026: The Conception and Realization of Aeyde Haus

To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Aeyde sought a permanent home that could encapsulate its brand identity: a blend of understated luxury, structural integrity, and modern functionality. Finding a vacant footprint within the historic landmark, Luisa Dames initiated a meticulous renovation process alongside Gonzalez Haase AAS.

The design team executed a complete "intervention by subtraction," tearing down later additions to reveal the 5-meter-high ceilings, raw concrete beams, and sweeping sightlines. The restoration preserved rare original elements crafted by Irene Henselmann, such as the original marble flooring and delicate handrails, integrating them seamlessly into a contemporary working environment. The finished Aeyde Haus opened its doors in early 2026, marking a significant milestone for both the brand and the architectural legacy of Karl-Marx-Allee.

Supporting Data & Spatial Specifications

• Location: Karl-Marx-Allee (Strausberger Platz), Berlin-Mitte / Friedrichshain, Germany.
• Original Construction Year: 1954.
• Original Architects: Hermann Henselmann (exterior/structure) and Irene Henselmann (interiors).
• Renovation Architecture & Scenography: Gonzalez Haase AAS (Judith Haase and Pierre Jorge Gonzalez).
• Spatial Layout: Three interconnected levels spanning a ground-floor public/collective zone and an upper-level development atelier.
• Ceiling Heights: Reaching nearly 5 meters, maximizing natural light penetration across all four cardinal directions.
• Material Palette:
  • Stamp béton (cast-on-site pigmented concrete with visible air pockets for heavy structural presence).
  • Anodized aluminum panels and hand-polished storage units.
  • Ribbed Plexiglas doors framed in aluminum to maintain light flow while offering acoustic separation.
  • Velvet-like acoustic pinboards in warm gray tones.
  • Standard silver mirror glass strategically placed to extend sightlines and bounce natural light.
• Modular System: A strict 60-centimeter module governing doors, cupboards, and bespoke joinery to reflect human proportions against the building’s monumental scale.
• Lighting Design: Dual parallel LED strips (one warm, one cool) embedded within exposed aluminum profiles running the full length of the structural geometry.
• Collaborators:
  • Set design and modular display system by Berlin-based Stefanie Grau.
  • Curated design, architecture, and arts research library by Paris-based editor and creative director Dan Thawley.

Official Responses and Creative Perspectives

The convergence of GDR-era architectural heritage and 21st-century fashion design has drawn widespread acclaim from the creative directors and architects involved in the project.

Reflecting on the emotional and historical resonance of the site, Aeyde Founder and Creative Director Luisa Dames explained:

"Karl-Marx-Allee carries a powerful architectural identity. Monumental, modernist, anchored in the history of East Berlin. The location felt right very quickly because of its story. Aeyde grew in Berlin and became international; for me, this place brings both together. The fact that the building once served as a house for community, education, and everyday life felt like a meaningful parallel. We wanted a place that brings work, exchange, and creation together, not simply an office but a true house."

Dames also noted her admiration for the architects’ methodology, praising Gonzalez Haase AAS for their "radical clarity, a certain rigor, and very precise spatial logic."

Speaking on the technical and philosophical approach to the historic fabric, architect Judith Haase detailed the studio’s subtractive philosophy:

"Normally you would have a suspended ceiling and you would not see how the building is made or how the structure works. We kept everything open, with nothing suspended, no additional layers, just the rough visible structure. We don’t paint walls for decorative reasons. Color comes from the material itself."

Haase further emphasized the importance of honoring the building’s overlooked co-creator:

"Haus des Kindes reveals the strength of a woman whose contribution was rarely acknowledged. Irene Henselmann’s touch gave this monumental urban block a sense of human proportion and material sensitivity that guided our entire intervention."

Implications: A New Blueprint for Creative Workplaces

The completion of Aeyde Haus carries profound implications for how contemporary fashion brands inhabit urban real estate. In an era dominated by homogenous, glass-box corporate offices or sterile co-working spaces, Aeyde Haus demonstrates the viability—and cultural value—of adaptive reuse within historically charged environments.

1. Honoring Forgotten Histories

By consciously foregrounding the contributions of Irene Henselmann, the project acts as an act of architectural reclamation. It challenges patriarchal historical narratives embedded in mid-century Eastern European urban planning, proving that modern commercial entities can engage critically with the ideological backdrops of their headquarters rather than erasing them.

2. The Evolution of the Hybrid Workplace

Aeyde Haus redefines what a fashion brand’s headquarters can achieve. By combining a raw, hands-on shoe-development atelier with an open-access research library curated by Dan Thawley and a modular showroom designed by Stefanie Grau, the space blurs the boundaries between private production, corporate operations, and public cultural engagement. It treats the workplace not as a static administrative container, but as an active engine for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

3. Materiality as Corporate Identity

In substituting applied decorative treatments with raw, tactile substances—such as cast béton, anodized aluminum, and reflective glass—Gonzalez Haase AAS has translated Aeyde’s design philosophy into a permanent physical vocabulary. The architectural choice to keep construction joints, beams, and material imperfections legible serves as a metaphor for transparency and authenticity in modern craftsmanship.

Ultimately, Aeyde Haus anchors a burgeoning design label within the deep, layered strata of Berlin’s architectural continuum. It ensures that the monumental legacy of Karl-Marx-Allee continues to evolve, transforming a relic of past ideological ambition into a thriving sanctuary for contemporary creative life.