The Eternithaus, a distinctive 1950s building designed by architect Paul Baumgarten in Berlin's historic Hansaviertel district, has transformed from a forgotten modernist landmark into a vibrant cultural space that continues to inspire visitors more than six decades after its construction. Originally part of the ambitious "City of Tomorrow" urban planning project, this architectural gem now serves as both a private residence and exhibition space, demonstrating how midcentury design can adapt to contemporary uses.
On a sunny July day in 1957, crowds of politicians and citizens from West Berlin gathered around Hansaplatz, an area adjacent to the city's historic Tiergarten park, to witness the debut of the City of Tomorrow. This ambitious urban planning project aimed to restore the extensively war-damaged, 60-acre neighborhood that had been devastated during World War II. More than 50 renowned architects from 14 different countries were commissioned to design buildings that would present new forms of living for the modern era.
By the summer of 1957, approximately 30 buildings had been erected, with the entire quarter completed by the early 1960s. The neighborhood remains a midcentury architectural showcase, featuring notable buildings including an eight-story structure designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, a seven-story apartment block by Brazilian Oscar Niemeyer, a vertical city with 527 apartments designed by Le Corbusier, bungalows conceived by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, and a memorial church by German architect Ludwig Lemmer.
Among these architectural achievements, one of the most interesting and compelling solutions for future living was the Eternithaus, designed by Berlin-based architect Paul Baumgarten. Instead of creating seven traditional terraced houses, Baumgarten imagined and built what he called a "residential ship" featuring seven 1,000-square-foot two-story maisonettes, each topped with private rooftop terraces. The ground floor was designed as a commercial space and was almost completely encased in glass, creating the visual illusion of a floating floor above the park.
Initially, the lower floor served as a showroom for Eternit, a company manufacturing cement building materials. The building was named after the brand, as the company had sponsored its construction costs, and its bright red cursive font signage remains on the façade today. In the 1980s, Eternit sold the building, and for the following two decades, it was partially used as office space. However, by the mid-2000s, the building stood empty and neglected.
Entrepreneur David Fuld would pass by the vacant building during his daily commute and imagine how fantastic it would be to base his hospitality company, Fuldwerk, in this unique space. In 2007, he seized the opportunity to rent it. "Once I entered the ground floor, I was immediately taken by the space – the light, the openness," Fuld recalls. "But it was in awful shape."
David established his offices on one side of the building, added a bar in the middle section, restored the garden, and renovated the Glass Block Room – an 860-square-foot space that he uses for meetings and workshops. Every time one of the apartments above became available for rent, he would attempt to buy or lease it. "I actually used the first apartment as a guest room," he explains of his first acquisition. "In the beginning, I wanted to take them over because sometimes the tenants would complain when we were working late or hanging out at the bar."
Over the course of the past 15 years, David has managed to acquire three apartments, two of which he uses personally. "I moved into one in 2021 after my divorce, and I use a second apartment for guests and my adult sons," he adds. His gradual acquisition of the building reflects both his passion for the architecture and his vision for its potential as a creative space.
During Christmas 2022, David's sister Sarah-Joan Fuld, a 54-year-old design consultant who owns a Munich-based agency, came to visit. Sarah-Joan has spent several decades conceiving creative work environments, including The Fuld, a mixed-use event and office space housed in a townhouse in Munich. She is also the editor of a recently published book about workplace design titled "Where Future Grows" (Niggli, $49.90).
"I came over at Christmas and told David that he just did not have the right furniture in the apartment," Sarah-Joan recalls. "We then spent three fun days buying things – vintage rugs, original Eero Saarinen tables, and Jean Prouvé chairs – at really special design resources in Berlin like Wildcarpets, the antique dealer Felix Bachmann, and Firma London." Later, she turned her attention to the Glass Block Room. "It had horrible furniture that hurt my eyes," she says. "I said to David, 'Can we change it, please?'"
Together, the siblings wandered through the vast warehouses of Morentz in the Netherlands, before extending their search to Sweden and Studio Schalling, where they discovered a 21-foot rosewood table. "Restoring this building inspired a great passion for art and design," David reflects. The careful curation of furniture and artworks has transformed the spaces into showcases of midcentury and contemporary design.
By this point, David's mission had evolved beyond personal use. "It's such a special building; it was important not only to preserve it but open it up occasionally for others to enjoy," he explains. The Glass Block Room is now available for bookings by private companies, and the apartment can be rented for events and photo shoots. A visit with his sister to The Rope, a gallery for collectible design in Munich at the start of this year, sparked an art project and exhibition concept.
This past summer, the siblings approached Judith Haase of the experimental Berlin-based architecture studio Gonzalez Haase, asking if she would like to create an intervention during Berlin's annual Art Week. Haase immediately agreed to participate. "The first field trip I took as an architecture student in Berlin was to the Hansaviertel," Haase remembers. "We all stood in front of the Eternithaus and couldn't get in. No one opened the door because it was private."
"Berlin is pioneering because it's a place where every space has been converted into an exhibition space," Haase adds. "Presenting art in a glass cube – essentially a room without walls – is yet another example of how you can use architecture to create a dynamic context for art." The exhibition featured objects and installations by Gonzalez Haase AAS, displayed throughout the Glass Block Room during Berlin Art Week in September 2025.
Hundreds of people attended the exhibitions, drawn as much by the opportunity to experience the Eternithaus as to view the contemporary art installations. The success of the event marked the beginning of a new chapter for the building. "Once or twice a year we want to open the doors and do something that surprises us," David explains. "We don't want to make money – we want to have fun."
Next year, the pair plans to invite artists or galleries from outside Germany to engage with the Eternithaus. "We want to bring an international crowd here too," says Sarah-Joan. "This building, the neighborhood, and its architecture are all important archetypes, not just for Berlin but for other cities." More than a generation after it was conceived as part of the City of Tomorrow, the Eternithaus continues to inspire new generations of architects, designers, and art enthusiasts, proving that great modernist architecture can successfully adapt to contemporary cultural needs.
