Given the great societal challenge of accommodating Berlin’s growing population and creating over 222,000 new apartments by 2040 (StEP Wohnen 2040, 9/2024), there are strong economic, social, and cultural arguments for developing inner-city quarters and building on Tempelhofer Feld. This urban development initiative aims to address the pressing need for additional housing in Berlin while leveraging the potential of inner-city areas. By building on Tempelhofer Feld, the project seeks to create a vibrant and sustainable urban quarter that can contribute to the city’s overall growth and development.

1. The principle of density and social mix:
The building follows the Berlin block structure, creating a dense, socially mixed quarter. There will be 18,000 housing units for 72,000 residents and 20,000 jobs. The new urban quarter, designed as a 15-minute city, includes 50% municipal owners and cooperatives, and 50% building groups and private owners. The urban structure is formed by two former runways, connected by a ring road. The new main street branches off diagonally and connects the center with the new ring railway S-Bahn station.

2. Green spaces and urban connectivity:
Park strips and city squares serve as public, non-commercial spaces. In the outer meadow ring, a landscape area connects the surrounding city, including open parkland, a public sports area, a forest strip as a buffer zone, and an event space.

3. Nature conservation and climate adaptation:
The design includes measures like street trees, water management, certified sustainability standards, CO2 emission reduction, and solar power. Despite reduced cooling from building on the central meadow, the outer meadow ring and Hasenheide City Park will positively affect the cooling of adjacent areas.

4. Equal mobility and pedestrian friendliness:
Streets are planned as shared spaces for pedestrians, cyclists, delivery traffic, and emergency vehicles, promoting sustainable transportation and reducing car dependence. Public parking garages on the ring road provide resident and visitor parking. The quarter will have a new tram line, ring railway connection, and expanded bus lines, cycle highways, and soft mobility.

Architect: Jens Brinkmann
Collaborators: Adriano Gaubeur, David Strüning, Saba Babak