This building, designed by Alfred Gottheiner, is a six-storey steel skeleton complex. It was built between 1930 - 1932. The design is sometimes also attributed to Alfred's cousin Albert Gottheiner.
The 104m high office building is constructed from dark, purplish bricks. It is located on the south side of the park at Rungestrasse 3-6 and 7, opposite the Barenzwinger. The complex consists of an elongated wing on the post road with two rear wings on either side of a large covered courtyard area. The western part of the building (located on the water alley) is a slightly lower building.
It was built as the headquarters of the Berlin affiliate of the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) insurance group. The facade presents an example of late expressionist architecture, featuring decorative brickwork and pillars, of which the six on the flanking staircase sections are emphasised by terracotta statues.
Under the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the building housed the Party Academy of the governing Socialist Unity Party from 1955 onwards. The party was set up with the following objective: "[Institute for the] development of a skilled cadre in connection with theoretical research and production of educational and other materials, according to the instructions of Central Secretariat ". It was an official state university with an enrollment in the university register in the GDR, which also owned the doctoral and postdoctoral law programmes.
A modern extension was built in the mid-1970s, designed by an architectural team led by Friedrich Kalusche. During this period the building was renamed the Haus am Kollnischen Park.
In summer 1990, after German reunification, the institution closed and the building reverted to the possession of the AOK, who had it thoroughly renovated. As of 2007, it houses their legal division. It is a registered city landmark.
In 2010 a joint stock company based in Cologne, Vivacon, had put forward a proposal to convert the building into 200 apartments and townhouses. It was refused a bank loan and sent the company into bankruptcy, having already sold 60 apartments off the plans.
