Urban Vitality

After the fall of the wall the suburb of Südliche Friedrichstadt, which was positioned on the border of West Berlin finds itself once again in the centre of the city. Against the backdrop of socio-economic problems a boost is necessary for the district. OKRA’s plan form a response to the lack of urban vitality in the area that makes living in the city attractive. This will be achieved by lowering the amount of anonymous spaces, which bring little quality to the area and the city.

Activating Space

OKRA’s proposal for the transformation of the 23-hectare area in Kreuzberg ensures anchoring this part of the city  once again with it’s surroundings. The proposed intervention focuses upon strengthening the edges, making a distinction between public and semi-public spaces and the programming of the public spaces. A transformation is accomplished by strategically adding buildings defining a square between the streets, Wilhelmstrasse and Lindenstrasse. The public space from the central axis from Friederichstrasse, south of checkpoint Charlie, will become a lively promenade, along the Landwehrkanal a canal park will be created.

Dialogue with the Residents

In the workshop process, Workshopsverfahren, a dialogue is opened with the residents allowing concepts to be developed, which will ensure the long-term regeneration becomes part of the city. The concept is the basis for a subsequent detailed planning process.