Neighbourhood park – from interim use to permanent facility
(Berlin)
Source: S.T.E.R.N., Berlin
In November 1994, the Berlin Senate reached a formal decision on the area for modernisation in Prenzlauer Berg-Winsstraße which today lies in the district of Pankow. The reorganisation programme specified the preservation of the building structure from the early years of the German Empire, the social mixture and the usage mixture, to renew the residential building stock and also to improve the offer of green and open areas. The S.T.E.R.N. Gesellschaft der behutsamen Stadterneuerung mbH, Berlin (Society for Careful City Modernisation) was responsible for the modernisation.
The demolition of a district salvation office in Marienburger Straße left behind 6,000 m² of wasteland on which a police and fire station and a 1,000 m² children’s playground were to be built. The new fire station was postponed due to a Berlin local government savings programme.
Photography: falcon crest/Schroedter/Saathoff
Together with the Amt für Umwelt und Natur - AUN (Office for Environment and Nature) and S.T.E.R.N., responsible for the modernisation, the Winsstraße local representatives (Betroffenenvertretung – BV) campaigned for a “green interim use” of the wasteland, in order the reduce the high deficit of green and open spaces in the modernisation area. An expert examined the possibilities of a temporary usage, then initial negotiations with the fire brigade as the user according to the plans followed. On the initiative of the BV Winsstraße, AUN and S.T.E.R.N. carried out a workshop with many local residents and six landscape planning offices in which the fundamentals of a draft for the overall area were worked out. The jury voted for the city square concept with an adventure playground as the main use.
By bundling different public finance sources, supplemented by donations of money and in kind and the voluntary work of residents and artists from the neighbourhood, it was possible to make a significant contribution to the improvement of the residential surroundings despite limited public resources. 200 schoolchildren from 11 school classes gave the square a new appearance with wall paintings and mosaics and with a play fountain which they designed themselves. It was possible to pay for the rows of trees from a compensation fund. With funding from the EU programme URBAN II, the installation of solar lighting was also financed. The landscape gardening was carried out with the assistance of long-term unemployed people, who were paid by the Bundesanstalt für Arbeit (Federal Institute for Labour). In June 2005, the provisional status was ended following land negotiations with the fire brigade. With this, the usage of the “Marie“ as a public green area and city square for the Winsstraße modernisation area is secured for the long-term.
With the completion of a gymnasium and a crèche/youth facility on the neighbouring school land, the space on offer has been extended. At the same time, the accessibility on foot has been improved for the local people.
Finally, a large firewall at the “Marie” was newly designed and family-oriented flats were built as part of a building association initiative in the immediate neighbourhood.
The project was recognised by the Gustav-Meyer Prize 1999 of the State of Berlin for exemplary planning methods, was the prize winner of the programme “Social City” ("Soziale Stadt") 2000 and was honoured as part of the German and European Urban Development Prize with the slogan “The city belongs to the children too: child-friendly urban modernisation in a densely built-up neighbourhood in Berlin from the early years of the German Empire” in 2004.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Definition of the modernisation area |
| 1995 | Demolition of the district salvation office, planning of a police and fire station |
| June 1997 | Workshop on the interim use of the wasteland |
| Sept. 1997 | 10 year contract for free-of-charge usage with an extension option between the AUN (Office for Environment and Nature) and the fire brigade |
| From May 1998 | Design work |
| 1998 | Completion of a playground for young children |
| May 1999 | Opening of the city square |
| June 2005 | Completion of the interim usage status |
| 2005/06 | Consolidation and qualification of the city square “Marie” by completing a gymnasium and a crèche/youth facility on the neighbouring school land |
Photography: Schnaars/Schroedter
Plan: Landschaftsarchitekturbüro Selmanagic/Bruch
Source: S.T.E.R.N., Berlin
In the foreground of scarce local government finances, the opportunity arose to temporarily use a building gap as a square and green area for the residents of an inner city neighbourhood. Thanks to the extensive involvement of the residents in the entire process, a high level of identification and high design quality was achieved at a low cost. At the same time, job promotion activities were carried out. A long-term improvement of the open space situation has finally been achieved with the intermediate step of a provisional usage.
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 10405 - town: Berlin - street: Marienburger Straße 43.
Record inserted on 01.02.2003 by Lehrstuhl für Planungstheorie und Stadtplanung, RWTH Aachen and updated by theFederal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) within the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR).
Last update: 19.08.2008
