MUDD 21 - City Visions II
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin Initial 11 Design Schemes
Prenzlauer Berg is a suburb located to the northeast of Berlin’s city centre in the district of Pankow. Project teams were assigned a site with an amazingly complex set of variables to consider when redeveloping. At the physical level, these variables include ample open spaces, quickly changing topography, segmentation by rail tracks, Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR/GDR) era residential tower blocks, district government offices, a public school, a swimming pool, a large industrial centre, abandoned rail tracks and heritage protected buildings. One of the most notable features on site is an immense statue of Ernst Thälmann; a Communist Party leader-turned-martyr. Surrounding the site, there is a mix of Hobrecht era courtyard buildings and early 20th century typologies. As rental prices have been slowly increasing in Prenzlauer Berg, the project site provides a unique opportunity for affordable housing. The site is well connected to public transport as it is within walking distance of S-Bahn stations (Greifswalder & Prenzlauer Allee), light rail and bus stops.
Urban Nucleus
This scheme aims to revitalise the existing Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood through a self-contained community, a selfsustaining ecology and a self-sufficient economy that will benefit potential inhabitants. There is an emphasis upon the connectivity of green spaces as a catalyst for social interaction.
Living in Green Oasis
The scheme intended to integrate green technology into the building systems and park connections. It encourages solar panel use amongst the new development and integrated water sustainable urban design is promoted in order to create a new urban habitat.
Boardway
This scheme focused on connecting the urban blocks to the hustling main streets while retaining the existing site characteristics. Additionally, introducing new programs, such as an artistic centre, will create community resources that appeal to a variety of prospective inhabitants.
Health Kiez
The scheme intended to create a healthy neighbourhood through the provision of public health infrastructure and green connectivity. The heritage buildings are to be adaptively reused for health and medical uses.
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Given the complexities on site and Berlin’s need for mass affordable housing, students were tasked to create design proposals for the site that considered the 1862 Hobrecht Plan for Berlin’s expansion but also created a new vision for its development. Students spent long hours designing in TU-Berlin’s studio space to create eleven schemes for redevelopment, each with a different perspective on housing typologies, neighbourhood identity, and walkable routes. Berlin’s concept of a “kiez”, a small neighbourhood with a close-knit self-realised identity, featured strongly in student design strategies. Once back in Sydney, students refined the schemes further into six designs. We were privileged to work with the graduate students in City Planning and Urban Design from TU Berlin in the groups which produced these eleven schemes. For their discussions, deep knowledge, creative input and friendship we thank: Emile Al-Daccache, Lisa Blum, Andrés Cruz Aguiar, Tabea Enderle, Felix Franke, Fanny Harder, Lukas Hellwig, Meno Hoffman, Lena Horst, Melana Jäckels, Sarah Manz, Laura Mark, Hannah Münzer, Irina Pelmegow, Lucas Rauch, Yan Tanevski, Lena Schilling, Johannes Schulz, Mareen Schulz, Shin Heewan, Sandra Stahnke, Paul Vieweg, Wang Rui and Gloria Watzinger.