The former Bethanienkirche is being converted into a residential project at Mirbachplatz in the Weißensee district of Berlin’s Pankow borough. The church was built in 1902; after wartime damage destroyed most of the building, its approximately 65-metre tower remained as a ruin. 15
The plan provides 17 apartments: three in the listed tower and 14 in a new building that replaces the destroyed nave. The new structure follows the footprint and dimensions of the former church, while its design is distinct from the historic tower. A basement garage is also part of the project. 14
Architect Bernd Bötzel developed the reuse concept in 2001 and worked with the borough and heritage authorities on the proposal. Building permission was granted in 2020. In 2021, the property passed to entrepreneur Uwe Dinnebier, who is carrying out the project based on Bötzel’s design. 15
Work to secure the tower began in spring 2022. The approach is to preserve its ruin character: damaged stones are being documented for reuse, and the upper sections are to be renovated externally but not occupied. The article describes construction as visibly progressing, with a deep excavation in front of the church and repairs and new openings apparent on the tower. 1
The project also envisages cultural and gastronomic uses alongside the housing. 1 The redevelopment brings a new use to a prominent historic structure while retaining the tower and recalling the scale of the former nave. 1