German practice Grüntuch Ernst Architects, founded in 1991, has converted an abandoned women’s prison – composed of a duo of 19th-century structures – in the Charlottenburg district, in Berlin, into a hotel called Wilmina.
The former court hosts the reception as well as a temporary gallery; then, an extension – housing the restaurant – connects the courthouse to the U-shaped cell block, which fits 44 guest rooms across five levels, including a new penthouse floor on the top. A roof terrace was also added, as well as a library, a bar, a spa, and a gym. The interiors respect buildings’ existing architecture and reveal traces of their former use.
“The [design] process involved reversing the spatial configuration and its meaning so that an anti-social space can become an inviting place,” said Grüntuch Ernst Architects.

Natural stone is an eternal material
Now in its 59th edition, Marmomac returns to Verona from September 23 to 26 to showcase the role of stone in contemporary design.