BERLIN - the update thread

[Grumpy]

Pictures made by erwin :

[Grumpy]

Some unusual photography

Inside the Palast der Republik


No time to waste


Time's up


Molecule Man


Treptowers & Osthafen


East Side Gallery


out of service


Rigaer Strasse


U bahnhof Zoo


Tempelhofer Ufer


Prenzlauer Berg

[Grumpy]

New project : Prenzlauer Gaerten

location:


masterplan:




Webcam:
http://www.prenzlauer-gaerten.com/we...maxBreite=1024

[Grumpy]

I am searching for information concerning the Kolhoff project that was cancelled near the Westkreuz train station.There were many scyscrapers planned but the plan didn't make it

[Grumpy]

Tempelhofer Hafen:

Some renderings of this area to be reconverted around an old existing warehouse:









pictures of the actual site: http://www.tempelhofer-hafen.de

[Grumpy]

Priorities for 2015

Tramway network:
http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.d...enbahnnetz.pdf

U bahn network:
http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.d...U-Bahnnetz.pdf

S Bahn network:
http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.d...S-Bahnnetz.pdf

Regional train network:
http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.d...albahnnetz.pdf

Priorities for 2030

http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.d...taeten2030.pdf

[Grumpy]

Extension of the Pergamon Museum



A 1993 design for the Alexanderplatz by H.Kollhoff

[Grumpy]

Humboldthafen development

[CHapp]

The name of that project surprises me, Grumpy.

There already is a completed project (2001) by the name Leibnizkolonnaden by the architect Hans Kollhoff in Charlottenburg, between Leibnizstrasse & Wielandstrasse close to the Ku'damm. Sorry I can't give you a direct link to the picture (it won't show ), but you can see it on the Kollhoff website, http://www.kollhoff.de. Click Projekte, then Bauten & scroll down a bit.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by CHapp

The name of that project surprises me, Grumpy.

There already is a completed project (2001) by the name Leibnizkolonnaden by the architect Hans Kollhoff in Charlottenburg, between Leibnizstrasse & Wielandstrasse close to the Ku'damm. Sorry I can't give you a direct link to the picture (it won't show ), but you can see it on the Kollhoff website, http://www.kollhoff.de. Click Projekte, then Bauten & scroll down a bit.

Du hast Recht.
I mixed up with the Kollhoff project from an earlier posted project of him in this thread.
Thank you for informing me, I appreciate it

[CHapp]

It's a pleasure. I see you edited your post to give the project its correct name.

[Grumpy]

Europa Kaufhaus

[Grumpy]

actual situation on the "Townhouses" am Werderschen Markt:

[Grumpy]

an aerial image from NASA

[Grumpy]

Program Area Ostkreuz



The Urban II location in Berlin is a 425 ha area around Ostkreuz. It is situated about 5 km south of the city centre, and comprises parts of the districts of Lichtenberg and Friedrichshain. The Urban II area consists of four neighbourhoods which are structurally very different from each other. The Lichtenberg side contains the large housing estate Frankfurter Allee-Süd, the original Victoriastadt and the area around Weitlingstraße with its mix of pre- and post-first-world-war tenement flats. On the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg side is the predominantly original nineteenth century residential area Stralauer Kiez, including the listed Industrial Works in Oberbaumcity, which is now an extensively renovated location for service industries.

Like a hinge between the districts lies Ostkreuz station, which is served by city and Ringbahn trains. Railways, which cut across the locality in all directions, take up almost a quarter of the total land area. These, together with the heavily used minor roads which surround the area, make the individual neighbourhoods into isolated islands.

[Grumpy]

The Berlin Cityscape – an analysis : Nature in the city

The main reason for environmental planning and the development of open space is to improve the quality of life in a city. Nature, of course, plays an important role here, and the needs of its various manifestations must be considered when planning the Berlin cityscape. Nature in its diversity must be protected and developed, as must characteristic plants and animals. This applies as much to the remains of the original natural landscape, meadows and fields as it does to gardens and wasteland as a natural form specific to towns and cities.

Remains of the original natural landscape: forests, moors and wetlands – the first form of nature
Human influence can alter this form of nature considerably, and it is therefore generally protected by nature or landscape conservation laws. Its natural state should be preserved as far as possible (e.g. by irrigating moors such as the Teufelsmoor).

Vestiges of the cultural landscape: meadows, fields, pastures and heaths – the second form of nature
This type of land is mostly found on the outskirts of the city, together with the corresponding hedges, heaths and rural vegetation, with very little remaining in the city. It is still possible, however, to preserve the distinctive features of these cultural landscapes, reconstructing the traditional structures and promoting ecological forms of cultivation.

The horticultural landscape – the third form of nature
Ornamental squares, gardens, green sites in the residential areas, playgrounds, sports fields and parks dating from a wide range of eras in the city's development are typical elements of the cityscape. They are not found in anything like this diversity in rural areas. In contrast to the other categories, horticultural maintenance and support consciously preserve this form of nature. The quality of such green spaces as a habitat for wild flora and fauna differs greatly. The objective is to preserve the distinctive features and characteristics of the various sites while at the same integrating the requirements of nature wherever artistically possible.

Natural areas typical of technical locations in the city – the fourth form of nature
Nature will occupy places such as railway properties, industrial areas or rubble-strewn sites of its own accord. Like the first category, it is neither planted nor deliberately cultivated or maintained. Its manifestations range from short-lived plant communities to colourful meadows and proper city forests. The location-related conditions are completely different to those of the original natural landscape, resulting in a different type of vegetation, whose development is dependent upon landfills and excavations, groundwater drawdown, nutrient enrichment and the hot and dry city climate. It is optimally adjusted to its location, particularly multi-facetted and the most typical form of natural habitat to be found in the town or city. The importance for the cityscape of this fourth form of nature needs to be made clearer to the populace.

[Grumpy]

The Berlin Cityscape – an analysis : Districts in the city

Berlin's cityscape is composed of a mosaic of districts, each with its own character. Their appearance is defined by the building profiles and their height, along with characteristic open spaces such as courtyards and gardens. The width of the streets and their distance from the buildings, their trees and the size, position and incorporation of squares into the street grid also play an important role. The districts are not stagnant: each generation must be able to add to its district as current tastes dictate, although here it is important to ensure that a combination of urban functions is available, and to make distinctive regional landscape features a basis for new district identities.

Inner city districts
The heavily built-up residential areas created during the German Empire dominate here, broken up in part by the rebuilding carried out during the post-war years. There is shortage of green recreation areas and the high volume of traffic is causing harmful emissions.

Development is focussed on:

* Increasing the number of planted areas effective for the ecosystem by re-opening surfaces.
* Planting greenery on roofs and walls, and in courtyards.
* Establishing a functional, interconnected network of green spaces.

The outcome:

* The re-establishment of the recreational quality of streets and squares.
* A decrease in the shortfall in public green and recreation areas.

The inner city fringe
This is characterised by what is on the whole a relaxed and heterogeneous structure composed of residential areas built during a variety of eras, industrial estates, large infrastructure sites and the green areas provided by the inner park ring.

Important principles to be considered in these areas are:

* The individual identity of the various districts should be preserved and developed, even when more buildings are added and the structural density increased.
* The potential of areas to be used more intensively for relaxation must be exploited. This includes introducing rented or multicultural gardens, the temporary use of open space and other ecological improvements.
* Measures must be taken to protect the groundwater in industrial and commercial estates in the Spree Valley.

Residential complexes on the outer edge of the suburbs
Small housing estates, detached and terraced houses with gardens and large residential complexes determine the city landscape here. The occasional village structure is still preserved. It is important to retain the current harmonious character of houses, open space and characteristic orchards and to limit the number of surfaces which are sealed. New buildings and a greater density in these areas is ecologically more viable than the uncontrolled development of landscapes. The typical character of the various districts should not, however, be watered down, but purposely emphasised. In the suburban quarters of the eastern districts in particular there is still a large number of distinctive open space structures and plenty of gardens planted with vegetation typical for the area whose character and ecological function should be preserved.

Beyond the city
Areas outside the city should in essential be safeguarded for their landscape and recreational qualities, and where necessary developed accordingly. The approach to adopt is that of inner city development before use of the areas outside the city. The need for new buildings cannot, however, always be completely met by increasing the concentration in existing residential areas or adding to them, or by converting industrial estates to residential areas. On a small scale, it is therefore vital that we set aside areas for the development of new districts with all of the necessary urban functions while at the same time preserving the distinctive regional landscape features and sensitivities in conjunction with the Land Use Plan for Berlin.

[Grumpy]

The Berlin Cityscape – an analysis : An outline of Berlin's open space system



Recreation areas on the outskirts of the city
The three traditional recreation areas around the lakes Müggelsee, Wannsee and Tegeler See fulfil several important functions simultaneously: they are vital ecological mitigation areas - most of the city's drinking water comes from here –, sensitive nature reserves and places for the city's inhabitants to relax. The Berlin open space system allows both green corridors to stretch from the city to the surrounding countryside and open space concepts to be implemented in the region. An outer ring of parks is planned for the outskirts of the city.

Planning activities are currently focussed on the north-east of Berlin, where the quality of the landscape and corresponding recreational opportunities are particularly poor. A large recreation area is being developed on an area of over 3,200 hectares in the Berlin sector of the Barnim district. It is the mutual objective of the Berlin and Brandenburg Länder to create spacious recreational landscapes both here and on the southern periphery of the city.

The ring of parks around the inner city
The heavily built-up inner city, which arose during the German Empire, is surrounded by the inner park ring, a belt of public parks, cemeteries and allotments. It must be maintained and in several places enhanced by further open spaces.

The Großer Tiergarten and the green corridors
The Großer Tiergarten is a large park which forms the heart of the city's open space system. It is an integral part of two green corridors in the shape of a cross which are important for the structure of the city: the River Spree, which flows from East to West and the green corridor running from North to South, including the Pankeniederung (lowlands on the Panke River) and the Spandauer Schifffahrtskanal (shipping canal) as far as the Großer Tiergarten. To the south of the Großer Tiergarten are a number of prestigious squares (Potsdamer Platz), open spaces (the Schöneberger Südgelände park), a planned park, the Gleisdreieck area surrounding the railway lines and a green link from the Teltow Canal to the southern outskirts. In addition to these green corridors, the Landscape Programme including Nature Conservation aims to provide a network of green areas which connect the inner city with the outskirts, link the green and open spaces together and link the districts to one another. A plan to create twenty green routes has been taken from the Landscape Programme including Nature Conservation and integrated into the Urban Development Concept 2020 so as to ensure that the limited funds available are used in a sensible fashion.

Private gardens and semi-public open space in residential areas
The wide variety of private gardens, semi-public open spaces and well vegetated residential areas adjacent to the highly concentrated urban districts (and extending far into the inner city) must also be maintained in future because of their instant utilisation and recreation value and ecological importance.

[Grumpy]

Landscape Planning : The history of open space development in Berlin

From Berlin's beginnings to the 19th century
Berlin grew out of a large number of settlements which slowly developed in the glacial valley along the River Spree and on the edges of the Teltow and Barnim plateaus. Initially, forests were planted in the less fertile areas, while meadows or fields were created on better or wetter soil. The location of the settlements was generally defined by the natural environment and the shipping lanes on the Spree. Originally, the town developed in the valley, radiating equally in all directions from the villages Berlin and Cölln, which formed the core of the settlement on the Spree islands. Development in Spandau and Köpenick, the nearest urban settlements in the Spree Valley, was mostly independent. The Berlin urban area was still limited to parts of the valley plain right into the last third of the 19th century. Weißensee, Pankow, Lichtenberg and Schöneberg were all still independent villages.

German Empire
The growth of Berlin in the German Empire was determined mainly by economic considerations. Suitable sites were built upon without any regard to distinctive landscape features. The city sprawled into the surrounding countryside. Prestigious ornamental squares, promenades and smaller parks grew up in the »better areas«, and several public parks were also laid out in the working class districts. Today these parks, together with the palace gardens and the former Electoral hunting reserve in the Großer Tiergarten, still rank among the most important green areas in the heavily built-up inner city.

1910 – The Jansen-Plan, the first comprehensive plan
The first comprehensive plan for Greater Berlin, in which the development of open space played a crucial role, was developed as part of the Greater Berlin competition of 1910. The award-winning Jansen-Plan not only made building suggestions, but also included a sophisticated open space concept. Berlin was to be structured by a smaller inner ring and a large outer ring of forests, parks, gardens and meadows. Radial green corridors were planned between the two rings, extending into the heavily built-up inner city. This plan influenced urban development considerably and was used as a basis for the aggressive safeguarding of open spaces. A great many town manors and permanent forests were bought both within and without Berlin, and a large number of public parks and allotments were created.

1929 – The general open space plan
The Jansen-Plan was also the model for the general open space plan of 1929 submitted by the government building officer Martin Wagner, who was also the first Stadtbaurat (municipal building adviser) to formulate minimum requirements for the provision of open space. It is thanks to these far-sighted plans that the city has its ring of parks, allotments and cemeteries and the extensive forests and agricultural areas on its periphery.

The post-war years and the Scharoun-Plan
The Scharoun-Plan was put forward in the post-war years. It involved a comprehensive urban renewal concept which would have emphasised and brought back to life the natural characteristics of the Berlin landscape, but at the same time would have completely destroyed the structures which had evolved over the centuries. However, the reconstruction which took place in the 1950s focussed mainly on the existing structure of the city. Additional green spaces grew up only on the mounds built of rubble from the destroyed buildings of Berlin, examples being Insulaner and Teufelsberg, or the Kippe in Friedrichshain and Oderbruchkippe in the Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg.

The 1960s and 70s
Development in the 1960s and 70s in both East and West Berlin was concentrated on the needs of motorisation and a marked reduction of open space. Green space planning in this period was transferred to a higher planning authority – the 1953 Regional Development Plan in East Berlin and the 1965 Land Use Plan in West Berlin – and was limited to improving the interconnection of existing green areas.

The 1990s
Almost a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, on 27th October 1990, the West Berlin Senate Department of Urban Development and Environmental Protection and the East Berlin Municipal Authority for the Environment and Nature Conservation passed a resolution to extend the Berlin Landscape Programme including Nature Conservation and the Land Use Plan to apply to the whole city.
A rapidly expanding metropolis with up to 300,000 new inhabitants in the city and 1.5 million inhabitants in the region were expected, with an additional 550 hectares of new building land required for commercial businesses, offices and retail.
In the process, it was possible to ensure that essential environmental aspects were taken into account, including the safeguarding of the open space system, climatically important ecological mitigation areas and local recreation areas.
The Landscape Programme including Nature Conservation was passed by the Senate of Berlin on 15th March 1994 and approved by the House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus) on 23rd June in the same year.
The intention is to implement the development goals and provisions of the Landscape Programme including Nature Conservation at all planning levels, including town planning, urban and district development planning and regional planning, in coordination with the neighbouring state's planning schemes, and including individual projects, competitions and the development of general principles. The responsibility lies with all of Berlin's public departments and authorities and ranges from the initiation and planning of a project to its implementation. The corresponding legal instruments for the conservation of nature are the landscape plans, the fulfilment of the Impact Regulation, landscape planning concepts, protected area regulations, programmes for the support of individual species, nature conservation approvals, etc.
In 1999 the Impact Regulation was made more flexible for town planning, resulting in an alteration to the Federal Building Code. This in turn led to the introduction of the General Urban Mitigation Plan, the first major amendment to the Landscape Programme including Nature Conservation.
The Programme is updated on a regular basis, as and when required by alterations to the Land Use Plan.

2000
With the decline in building activities in Berlin and the simultaneous financial crisis faced by the City of Berlin, new planning priorities must be set. The Urban Development Concept 2020 was therefore drawn up, setting three priorities for the development of green and open space:

* The General Urban Mitigation Plan (House of Representatives resolution of 2004),
* The closing of gaps in Berlin's 20 major green routes, linked together by a network of biotopes and
* Strategies for interim “green” use.

The intention is to hold public debates on the Urban Development Concept, particularly in the Stadtforum Berlin, which could be described as a “parliament of planners”.

[Grumpy]

Potsdamer Platz - The project

*Previous history
Before World War II Potsdamer Platz was one of the busiest squares in Europe. Back in 1904 34 tram lines, six horse-driven bus lines and heavy carriage traffic crossed the square; thousands of passengers arrived daily at Potsdam station. It is no coincidence that in Germany the first traffic lights for five directions were erected in 1924 on Potsdamer Platz. A copy of the traffic light tower can once again be admired at its old location. The traffic junction was also a popular district in the city with its busy side streets.

The new building work based on the urban development plan of Hilmer und Sattler re-established the old urban landscape in 1991. After years in the shadow of the Wall, Potsdamer Platz re-emerged as an important hinge between the West City and East Centre.

**The transport network of New Berlin
The reacquisition of the area brings with it new traffic requirements. Today, Potsdamer Platz is part of the important east-west link from Potsdam over Leipziger Straße to the old centre. No-one wants to see a return to the old road traffic. Berlin is working towards a modal split (ratio of public to individual traffic) in the inner city area of 80:20. Priority is given today to public transport. In future, visitors and residents are to reach Potsdamer Platz mainly via the new, underground regional station, suburban overhead railway, underground, buses and a planned tram link along Leipziger Straße. All these routes, both above and below ground, had to be taken into account when building roads in the new district.

***The square in the urban landscape
Its new dual role as a central transfer location and entertainment centre in the city centre meant a compromise had to be reached between transport requirements and urban planning restraints during the road planning phase. The goal was to bear in mind upscale Berlin urban design traditions and to make the square somewhere people like to spend time