Studio Mark Randel

Studio Mark Randel is a Berlin-based architecture practice focusing on the design of residential and interior spaces with a strong material presence. In close dialogue with private clients and developers, we create buildings and spaces that respectfully engage with their surroundings — whether in an urban or rural context.

In today’s increasingly fast-paced and disconnected world, each project presents itself as a statement of meaningful human and contemporary architecture.

Established in 2014, Studio Mark Randel consists of a small team of international architects. The office and each project is led by Mark Randel, who worked as a partner and design director at David Chipperfield Architects for 24 years.

People

People are at the center of our work. Their needs and desires dictate each architectural concept. We consider a building successful when it touches the senses of its inhabitants and allows their daily rituals to unfold.

For us, the design process is not just a tool, but a form of human interaction. Good architecture is a collaborative effort. We like working with strong personalities who push for intense dialog throughout the process.

"La Cupola" in Sardinia by Dante Bini, designed for Monica Vitti and Michelangelo Antonioni.

Spaces

Space is the physical framework of life. In every aspect, it stimulates our moods and influences our sense of well-being. Therefore, no design task is more meaningful to us than creating environments for living. In the broadest sense of the term, this is our focus, be it within a residential or public project.

The in-between spaces — corridors, staircases, or loggias — define the way we experience buildings as we move through them. As a result, they receive our greatest attention.

1/2A bedroom designed by David Chipperfield
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Rituals

Our architecture celebrates everyday moments. Daily routines fundamentally inform our approach to design, and because these are different for everyone, we question conventional solutions in favor of continually rethinking space. 

Activities like cooking, dining, showering, and sleeping require individualized planning. We listen to our clients at length before designing an environment to support their day-to-day needs and desires, enhancing the experience tied to these rituals.

1/2Spaces for daily life - where ends the private, where starts the public?
2/2The combination of water and stone is natural and touches our senses.

Attentiveness

Each building sits in dialog with its environment. The local conditions of a site are central to an appropriate and coherent design — within an urban or rural framework.

A building feels right when it reacts to the peculiarities, beauties, and challenges of its surroundings, respectfully interacting within its context. Drawing upon the particulars of a place enriches our work.

We are inspired by landscapes, cityscapes, and historic buildings; we integrate a region’s culture from the very beginning of our design process.

1/2Boathouse on lake Tegernsee.
2/2Stone buildings in Matera

Clarity

Our visual language is straightforward, precise, and often reduced to the essentials. Each space we design is inhabited by its own individual tone — always concise but never intrusive.

Behind every clear and simple look and feel lies a complex set of plans. Complying with building codes or integrating technology often conflicts with the design. We spend a great deal of time hiding unnecessary clutter in keeping with a calm and harmonious spatial atmosphere.

Private house in Berlin, designed by David Chipperfield.

Effortless

A coherent building has an effortless aura. Ideally, there should never be a question as to if it could be anything other than what it is. Harmonious proportions and spatial sequences are those that appear self-evident, that intuitively integrate themselves into everyday life without ever being banal.

Effortless architecture comes from complex, sophisticated planning. For us this is not a burden, but rather a natural part of the design process that deserves the time it needs.

A historic facade in Sicily.

Materials

Materials that are alive make rooms that are alive. We work with a range of high-quality natural materials that age with grace. Selected wood, stone, and metal last for generations, revealing their depth of personality over time through the effects of sun, wind, weather, and everyday use.

Our preference for tactile, organic surfaces can be read as a statement against the sleek, lifeless industrial products predominant in contemporary constructions. We oppose the industry’s flat understanding of substance, instead using warm materials that take on a patina rich with character.

1/4Soft light on an old wooden staircase.
2/4A fence made from Bamboo in Shanghai.
3/4A floor washed out by rain in Japan.
4/4Terrazzo meeting an oak wood floor.

Views

The quality of an interior is strongly defined by its relationship to the outside world. We stage views, visual axes, and various light situations that integrate the surroundings into the design. A well-placed opening in a wall can bring the outside in.

We use classical means of composition like framing, enfilades, and panoramic settings to create interesting visual connections, whether still or in movement.

1/2A window framing the view to a church tower.
2/2Perspective study to determine the proportions of the window.

Nature

The most basic function of architecture is to shelter us from the elements. For us, a convincing building does so only by staying connected to its natural surroundings. It works in concert with the climate beyond its walls, allowing the best parts in — a gentle breeze, the sound of the sea, the songs of the birds.

Our architecture aspires to this life in harmony with nature, which is why we like to design doors, windows, and loggias in ways that blur the line between inside and out. Instead of artificially maintaining a constant room climate, our interiors allow for variations in temperature in respect to each room’s function.

1/2The red walls in the garden of the "Arsenale" in Venice by Alvaro Siza strengthen the beauty of the garden.
2/2Garden in David Chipperfields Inagawa project.

Sustainability

We aim to counterbalance quick, cheaply built architecture-for-profit with creative foresight. We want our buildings to remain practical and sustainably functional over time, so we favor flexible spatial concepts.

By choosing durable and renewable materials naturally capable of controlling a room’s climate, we are saving resources for future generations.

We believe that many modern standards of comfort and convenience do not necessarily contribute to a better life. Simple, good design should sharpen the senses and bring awareness to the things that truly matter. This is why we advise our clients away from unnecessary waste in order to limit CO2 output.

A rammed earth wall at a japanese temple.

Luxury

We believe that a building does not need to put its luxury on display in order to offer it in its highest form. Notions of luxury go deeper and are defined by one’s own personality. Time is the most precious resource we have in today’s world — to slow down, strive toward balance, fulfil our needs as an individual. That’s why for us, it is paramount that a home is a retreat, providing an exceptional quality of life matching the desires of each client.

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Projects

Single-family house in Munich, Bogenhausen.

1/10© Foto: Simon Menges
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4/10© Foto: Simon Menges
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6/10© Foto: Simon Menges
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9/10© Foto: Simon Menges
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Projects

Apartment building in historic neighbourhood in Munich, Schwabing.

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Projects

Apartment building in Herzogpark in Munich, Bogenhausen.

1/18Ⓒ Rendering: Darcstudio
2/18Entrance hall Ⓒ Photo: Mark Randel
3/18Ⓒ Photo: Mark Randel
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7/18Ⓒ Rendering: Ponnie
8/18Ⓒ Rendering: Ponnie
9/18Ⓒ Photo: Mark Randel
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11/18Ⓒ Foto: Mark Randel
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13/18Ⓒ Rendering: Ponnie
14/18Ⓒ Photo: Mark Randel
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17/18Ⓒ Photo: Mark Randel
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Projects

House from the 1960s on a balearic island.

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Projects

Conversion of an old apartment in Berlin, Wilmersdorf.

1/4Ⓒ Photo: Mark Randel
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3/4Ⓒ Photo: Mark Randel
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Projects

Former fisherman's house on a greek island.

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Projects

Haircoloring Studio in Berlin, Tiergarten

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Methodology

Our working methodology is always characterized by an intense confrontation with the individual architectural task. The initial phases of planning — from concept development to completed architectural design — are at the core of our work. The peculiarities and particulars of each project take time to reveal themselves, and quite often the most important issue or attribute only later comes to the surface. We give each project as much time as it needs to unfold in order to reach its full potential.

Along with the needs, desires, and motivations of our clients, the cultural, and environmental characteristics of each site dictate the design. Depending on the requirements and complexity of each concept, we use a broad spectrum of imaging and design techniques — from pen and paper to virtual reality and big-scale models.

1/5Our meeting room in the studio.
2/5Material samples.
3/5Phillip Kring, Alexandr Minkin, Christian Busch
4/5Judith Engel
5/5Mark Randel

Mark Randel

Mark Randel has worked for David Chipperfield Architects for over 23 years, including his last seven years as a partner. In many projects he has cultivated his interest in a respectful and very physical architecture in many countries including Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and China.

He led the project team that won the competition for the restoration of the Neues Museum in Berlin and was also responsible for the development of the Masterplan for Museum Island. He was one of the founding members of the Berlin office of David Chipperfield Architects and curated an exhibition over the historic Tempelhof Airport during the 2012 Venice Biennale.

From 2013 to 2018, he was design director and partner of David Chipperfield Architects and responsible for the projects of the Shanghai office.

Selected Projects

  1. 3520212022
    Haircoloring Studio
    Location:
    Berlin, Tiergarten
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Principal Studio Mark Randel
  2. 3420212022
    Conversion of an old apartment
    Location:
    Berlin, Wilmersdorf
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Principal Studio Mark Randel
  3. 3320212023
    Former fisherman's house
    Location:
    Kythera, Griechenland
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Principal Studio Mark Randel
  4. 3220182020
    Finca La Marina
    Location:
    Ibiza, Spain
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Principal Studio Mark Randel
  5. 3120172020
    Pudong Urban Planning and Art Centre
    Location:
    Shanghai, China
    Type:
    Cultural
    Role:
    Partner & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Shanghai
  6. 3020152022
    New apartments 1
    Location:
    München, Bogenhausen
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Principal Studio Mark Randel
  7. 2920142018
    Location:
    Anji, China
    Type:
    Cultural
    Role:
    Partner & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Shanghai
  8. 2820132019
    Location:
    Shanghai, China
    Type:
    Cultural
    Role:
    Partner & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Shanghai
  9. 2720132022
    Stadtpalais1
    Location:
    Munich, Germany
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Principal Studio Mark Randel
  10. 2620132022
    Xujiahui Bookstore
    Location:
    Shanghai, China
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Partner & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Shanghai
  11. 2520132022
    Expo Tower
    Location:
    Shanghai, China
    Type:
    Mixed Use
    Role:
    Partner & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Shanghai
  12. 2420122014
    Palais Varnhagen Apartment Building
    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  13. 2320112016
    Location:
    Munich, Bogenhausen
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Principal Studio Mark Randel, Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  14. 2220102012
    Hangyang Hanguo Factory Concept Design
    Location:
    Hangzhou, China
    Type:
    Mixed Use
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  15. 2120092013
    Location:
    Hangzhou, China
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  16. 2020092013
    Location:
    Stuttgart, Germany
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  17. 1920082019
    Ninguo Fu Di Courtyard Villas
    Location:
    Shanghai, China
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  18. 1820072012
    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  19. 1720072015
    Location:
    Hangzhou, China
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  20. 1620062007
    Rena Lange Headquarters
    Location:
    Munich, Germany
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  21. 1520062011
    Location:
    Shanghai, China
    Type:
    Mixed Use
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  22. 1420062021
    Rockbund 6
    Location:
    Shanghai, China
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  23. 1320042005
    Rena Lange Shop Concept and Flagship Store
    Location:
    Munich, Germany
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  24. 1220042008
    Location:
    Hangzhou, China
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  25. 1120032007
    Location:
    Hangzhou, China
    Type:
    Cultural
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  26. 1020022003
    Bamboo Forest Village Clubhouse (Schematic Design)
    Location:
    Liangzhu, China
    Type:
    Civic
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  27. 0920022005
    Hotel Beaumont
    Location:
    Maastricht, Holland
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  28. 0820022006
    Bailujin Apartments
    Location:
    Liangzhu, China
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  29. 0720022014
    Kattendijdok Residential Towers 3+4
    Location:
    Antwerp, Belgium
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  30. 0620002002
    Parkside Apartments, Potsdamer Platz
    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  31. 0519992003
    Dolce & Gabbana Private Houses
    Location:
    Portofino, Italy
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  32. 0419982000
    Masterplan for the Museum Island
    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Type:
    Cultural
    Role:
    Project Architect David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, Managing & Design Director David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
  33. 0319971999
    Dolce & Gabbana Shop Concept and Flagship store
    Location:
    Milan, Italy
    Type:
    Commercial
    Role:
    Project Architect David Chipperfield Architects London
  34. 0219961997
    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Type:
    Cultural
    Role:
    Jr. Project Architect David Chipperfield Architects London
  35. 0119951997
    Location:
    Berlin, Germany
    Type:
    Residential
    Role:
    Jr. Project Architect David Chipperfield Architects London

1 In personal collaboration with David Chipperfield

Contact

Studio Mark Randel
Tucholskystraße 47
10117 Berlin, Deutschland

+49 30 288 840 77
mail@studiomarkrandel.com

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