Artistic freedom, quality to last a lifetime
The Knast, Berlin
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- Hotel, Berlin
- Collections: AXOR LampShower, AXOR Showerpipe by Front, AXOR ShowerHeaven, AXOR ShowerSolutions
- Surface finish: Polished Red Gold
It’s almost hard to believe: a former prison in Berlin’s sleepy southwest, transformed into a marquee boutique hotel and fine-dining restaurant. “I was swept away by the place, and immediately recognized the potential,” says Dr. Joachim Köhrich as he makes his way through the neo-Renaissance-style building. Constructed in 1906, the building is now a protected historical site.
Hailing from Berlin, Dr. Köhrich is a highly-seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for the unconventional in real estate. Together with his business partner, event manager Janina Atmadi, Köhrich undertook the transformation of this former correctional facility into a space that is, literally, arresting upon entry. Building on the distinctive philosophy of past projects such as the landmark transformation of Berlin’s Heckmann Höfe, the duo mounted an ambitious restoration of this long-abandoned lost place. Their challenge: Transform a site with a storied past—spanning from the daytime prison “shifts” of world boxing champion Bubi Scholz to on-location film shoots by George Clooney (“The Momuments Men”) and Tom Tykwer (“Babylon Berlin”)—into a place that brings history, art, design and joie de vivre under one roof.
Nestled in a quiet neighborhood beside the Lichterfelde district court, The Knast has established its reputation as an insider tip as a bar, restaurant, venue— and art hub —far away from the usual tourist haunts. In 2022, the Knast invited an ensemble of queer artists to set up studios in half of the site’s 50 former cells of the main cell block, where they hosted events and exhibitions for visitors. The old prison chapel is no longer a place to pray, but rather to imbibe cocktails and free yourself from the shackles of everyday life in an intimate atmosphere—and for that reason, photos are strictly prohibited in the speakeasy bar. Unsurprisingly, the restaurant’s 30 seats in the former administrative wing of the prison have remained almost fully booked out since its 2024 opening. The boutique hotel, comprising nine rooms in the smaller cell block behind historic prison bars and four suites in the attic, will open soon.
Bathroom as core experience
AXOR, naturally, was the consultant of choice for the bathroom’s choice of design and equipment. “When I reflect on hotels and restaurants that have left a lasting impression on me, the icing on the cake tends to be an astounding bathroom,” explains Köhrich. He continues, “Now, as an entrepreneur and real estate developer, this is a unique selling proposition that I’m leaning into myself. With AXOR, I can choose from a range of products that not only offer a nearly endless diversity of possibilities in design and individual expression, but also exhibit remarkable longevity.”
Hard on the outside, velvety on the inside: A theme of copper
AXOR products have already featured in one of Köhrich’s previous projects, The Turm (meaning “Tower”) penthouse at the old Wustrow maritime academy on the Baltic Sea, available as a vacation rental since 2022. Product selection for The Knast, however, was based on different design considerations. “I wanted to juxtapose the harsh features of the architecture with a warm and soft interior,” he explains.
In converting the former cells into hotel rooms, he exposes a series of steel beams that span the ceiling and support a scallop-like row of shallow arches —a design characteristic of some buildings of the region and period. Cladding these beams in warm copper determined the bathroom’s color scheme of black, red and copper. “After all, everyone has stainless steel,” says Köhrich in explaining his selection of AXOR faucets and showers in Polished Red Gold finish. The coppery luster not only contrasts strikingly with the steel-gray bars out in front of the windows, but also creates a captivating reflection in the shiny mosaic pattern of the matt black tiled walls.
The cage-like AXOR LampShower, a combination light and showerhead, bears an aesthetic seemingly made for this place. The pipes, funnels and valves of the AXOR Showerpipe by Front embodies an early-industrial style in perfect harmony with the site’s historic ambiance.
In another suite, the AXOR ShowerHeaven hovers above high windows, delivering water from many directions as if straight from the skies. The shower as a core element of the hotel experience is rooted deeply in the concept of The Knast: transforming grating hardship of the past into warm sensuality.
The range of AXOR ShowerSolutions indeed mesh with this concept. Their precise controls, clean lines, and robust engineering embody the credo Köhrich has maintained as a passionate craftsman and engineer for all the real estate projects he has pursued since he was 25: “Design it to last at the outset, and then enjoy at least 30 years of peace and satisfaction.” To Dr. Köhrich, quality to last a lifetime is not an empty slogan— it is an unwavering conviction.
Copyright: Studio Kroll
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