Situated on the southern edge of Berlin’s Templehof Airport, the BUFA campus has been a key part of Berlin’s film and television industry for over a century. Founded in 1912, the studios were home to some of Germany’s early film history, serving as the filming location for pioneering works such as the 2020 Expressionist horror film Der Golem. MVRDV’s masterplan for the campus takes an incremental approach to revitalising the film studios, with a focus on sustainable transformations. TON 1, originally built in 1931 as part of a renovation required for films with sound, was the first project transformed by MVRDV within Atelier Gardens. It was followed in 2023 by HAUS 1, a 1990s office building which is now an eye-catching entrance marker for the site.

The primary qualities of the building, including its iconic brick façade, high ceilings, and large open space are conserved, along with original fixtures and fittings. Guests enter through the original entrance, below the distinctive TON 1 sign. The original steel doors are preserved and remain open to welcome visitors to the building, while the addition of new glass doors creates a stronger connection between inside and outside.