A new, old design

Nowadays, there's a weekly market at Hausvogteiplatz - right in the heart of Berlin, between Gendarmenmarkt, the opera, ministries and embassies. Tourists take pictures of the vegetable stands and then stroll on, through Jäger and Wallstrassen, into Caroline-von-Humboldt-Weg. And then they're blown away: the streets are lined with elegant, obviously pricey townhouses that stretch 12 meters (40 feet) high.

Some have a Mediterranean touch; others boast sandstone; some are adorned with long windows. "Since property in the inner city is so rare and expensive, people do not build broad houses, they build up instead," real estate agent Torsten Feetz told Deutsche Welle.

At home in the center

The first project to forge the way in Berlin was back in 2005 - on an open field behind the Foreign Office, in the middle of town. The state of Berlin wanted to reurbanize this wasteland left over from the war. To keep the area alive at night, however, it was decided that privately-financed houses should be built rather than office buildings.

Several architectural firms were involved in drafting plans for the narrow pieces of property in the new "townhouse" style that has meanwhile been copied throughout the city. Ralk Küchenthal, one of the board members of the Chamartin Meermann real estate firm said there are plenty of people interested in this style of house. A single-standing home on the edge of town is no longer the be-all and end-all for many people, he said.

"More people are less interested in spending their valuable leisure time in the car; they also want to be able to ride their bikes to work," according to Küchenthal. At the same time, they appreciate the benefits of owning their own house. "They want their home to be their castle," he said.

Those castles include 200-300 square meters (2,200-3,200 square feet) of backyard space where baby swimming pools, grills or lawn furniture can be set up. The proud townhouse owners who get bored sitting in their own gardens can then head off to the city's trendiest bars and clubs.

Green and on the water

Harbor District Mitte is the ensemble of 11 townhouses that Torsten Feetz was able to sell. The buyers include a successful young IT entrepreneur, two advertising pros, a doctor and her children, and a young family from Munich. They are people who want to live in the center of town and are willing to pay for it.

The exclusive townhouses with heated garages, attic studios, saunas and wine cellars cost, depending on the amount of square meters, between 900,000 and 1.5 million euros ($1.3 - 2.1 million). They're being constructed near the center, not far from the main train station, where one still sees the scars of Berlin's divided past.

With their clever design, the buildings can guarantee privacy, while also having Spandau's canals and parks right out the front door. "The Berlin Wall was the only thing that used to stand here and, sadly, the death zone," Feetz said.

Now, new life flowing into the area and, as a result, property value is rising.

Undergoing transformation

Two- and three-story row houses are not uncommon in Germany, but they are often found on a city's periphery. With their manifestation in inner cities, they have undergone a transformation, with their design, fittings and price implying a certain kind of clientele.

Townhouses also mean that neighborhoods with their own infrastructures surround them. "The micro-location must suit the client," Küchenthal diplomatically pointed out. Schools, kindergartens and stores must be close by. Theaters, train stations and airports must be easy to reach.

Within walking distance from Harbor District Mitte, a new block called Quartier am Pankepark is going up - which is to include 50 townhouses between 140 and 195 square meters in size going for up to 500,000 euros each. Each house is five meters wide and 12 meters deep; each floor has two rooms, and to reach the top floor, one must climb some 70 steps. The exercise program is obviously included in the selling price. Other luxury homes, of course, have their own elevators.

This is not the end: townhouses can now be felt seen throughout the city, with some 20 projects by investors in the works. And, said Küchenthal, investors are looking for further locations.

Author: Silke Bartlick / Monika Dittrich / als
Editor: Kate Bowen