The Chipp, Chipperfield Apartment, Bad Saarow, Germany

A Chipperfield Apartment on Lake Scharmützelsee

Interior designer Erika and her husband Kyrill were hunting for somewhere stylish enough for their family of five to escape Berlin. This was their solution, an apartment in David Chipperfield's new lakeside complex at Bad Saarow. The Chipp is named as a quiet tribute to its architect, who won the Pritzker Prize in 2023, the same year the building was completed. The apartment sleeps eight, has a fireplace, a SieMatic kitchen, lake views from two balconies, and shares an estate with a spa, indoor pool, sauna, and private beach.

The Marina Apartments are five rectilinear timber-clad structures distributed informally through a pine forest on the western shore of Lake Scharmützelsee, stepping down toward the water. The curtain-wall wooden façade, flat roofs, and transparent glass fronts give the buildings an urban feel, absorbed into the surrounding pine forest. Inside, Erika brought a different register: B&B Italia, Gubi, and Gallotti & Radice against a minimalist shell, a Trussardi shelving system, bespoke cabinetry, and a professional SieMatic kitchen.

Three bedrooms (two with king-size beds and workspace areas, one a children's room with loft bed) open onto a living area anchored by a fireplace and a flat-screen TV. The fully equipped kitchen has a dishwasher and oven. There are two bathrooms with bathtub and walk-in shower. High-quality towels, bathrobes, and bedding are provided. The dining table seats eight.

Two light-flooded balconies (one with lake views directly from the living room) give the apartment an unusual degree of connection to the pine forest and water. The estate's beach on the western shore of the lake is steps away. Access to the shared outdoor spaces, the marina, and a gas barbecue is included.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Bad Saarow, Germany sleeps up to eight guests in a three-bedroom apartment across one floor. The hoem includes an open-plan kitchen and dining area with table for eight, a living room with fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows, two balconies, two king bedrooms with dedicated workspace, one children's room with loft bed, and two bathrooms. The second bathroom is located between the living room and third bedroom, so it functions as a shared bathroom rather than a private en-suite. Two balconies. Shared access to estate spa, indoor pool, sauna, fitness room, and private beach.

- Bedroom 1 — King, en suite, balcony with lake view

- Bedroom 2 — King, en suite, workspace

- Bedroom 3 — Loft bed (children's room)

Good to know

The Chipp is part of the Marina Apartments estate, a private, gated complex on the lake's western shore. Spa, indoor pool, sauna, fitness room, and beach are shared with other residents and guests of the estate. The nearest train station is Bad Saarow (approx. 10 minutes by taxi or bus). The estate is also reachable by bicycle from the town center. A gas barbecue is available on-site. No pets. Minimum rental age 18.

Amenities & services

Fireplace, two balconies, lake view, private beach access, spa access, indoor pool with counter-current system, two saunas, fitness room, SieMatic kitchen, dishwasher, oven, dining table for eight, flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi, gas barbecue, high-quality towels and bathrobes, bedding provided, children's loft bed, dedicated workspaces

Around

Bad Saarow is Berlin's equivalent of the Hamptons in the US, and has been since the 1920s, when artists, athletes, and industrialists built summer houses an hour southeast of the city on the shores of what Theodor Fontane called the "Märkisches Meer." Das Dorsch (a lakeside restaurant and bar on the western shore, open since the 1950s and still run by the same family) is the closest serious option for dinner, with regional fish and game and a terrace over the water. The weekly market at Marienhöhe is a 15-minute bike ride. Three golf courses, a tennis center, sailing tours, and a wakeboard park are all within easy reach without a car.