Housing is in demand in Frankfurt-am-Main, yet loft living, or adapting obsolete manufacturing structures for open-plan residential use, remains a novelty, due in part to a dearth of century-old industrial buildings near the downtown area. But in 2009, when 1100 Architect was asked to convert the Lencoryt Building—formerly offices and a textile factory and now a historic monument—into dwellings, the designers felt a change was in order. “Some said lofts would not work, because this city is conservative,” says Gunter Weyrich, principal of the New York–based firm, which has a branch in Frankfurt, “but people are more open than many anticipated. And they think the site is thrilling.”

Additional Content:
Jump to credits & specifications