"The most beautiful homeless shelter in the world"

Who says only the wealthy and well-off should have access to a touch of thoughtful design? Not Miriam Kilali, a Berlin-based artists behind Reichtum 2, a homeless hostel in Germany that just reopened. Brought to our attention in an article in Spiegel Online (via ArchNewsNow), the shelter is the second venture for Kilali, who first opened an extravagant homeless hostel in Moscow.

The design of the shelter, whose name means "wealth" in German, is meant to inspire. The space, a former hotel, became a hostel eight years ago for men ages 40-68. Seeing an opportunity following the success of her Moscow project, Kilali raised €130,000 to cover the renovation of the existing hostel, telling Spiegel Online: "I knew from experience that beautiful buildings give strength, especially after gruelling times. People living on the street need that, twice over."

The result? Interiors now include chandeliers, wooden floorboards, gold borders on the walls, and designer furniture. Linoleum flooring was replaced by terracotta floor tiles, and bright wallpaper went up over sterile tiles.

Next on Kilali's list: New York, where she is working on Reichtum 3.

Photo from www.miriamkilali.com