Transitional use of the castle area

In the course of the planned construction of the Humboldt Forum, one of the most prominent and symbolic places in Berlin's urban structure became a public open space until the summer of 2012. The landscape architectural design dealt with this transitional situation thematically, formally and materially.

The design concept aimed to create an open system in which a wide variety of interim uses as well as construction and excavation activities could be integrated. Formally, this was implemented by means of wooden footbridges that could be read and functioned as parts of a scaffolding, as they ensured the access and spatial cohesion of the overall area.

Relating to this wooden scaffolding, the design thematized the perception of the contextually present and ephemeral. The conceptual approach, characterized by sketchiness, proved to be flexible and insensitive to a wide variety of usage requirements. The character of a building site was also conveyed through the use of transitory materials. In addition to the larch wood of the 2.50 m wide footbridges, this included the extensively maintained gravel lawn area that occupied the western part of the palace grounds.

In this area, whose surface was lowered by 30 cm compared to the level of the surrounding walkways, the archaeologically uncovered foundation walls of the city palace were visible between the wooden footbridges. Like the base of the former Kaiser Wilhelm National Monument and the boundary walls of the "palace basin", they are among the authentic relics that conveyed the historicity of the site. These structural documents were made recognizable and staged by the design. In the case of the National Monument, this was done through a wooden seating step system that was pulled over the building structure as a "second skin".

Inside the "palace tub", the relief was slightly inclined towards the Spree and a play and sports lawn was laid. The wooden walkways here condensed into spacious sun decks and formed a wooden promenade on the banks of the Spree.

Through the transitional use of the palace grounds, one of the most historic places in the center of Berlin became usable and experienceable. The use of the open space there gained special quality through the opening of the area to the Spree. The renunciation of structural gestures protruding into the heights created an expanse on the Schlossareal, which enabled new views for the cityscape and put the surrounding buildings from different eras in relation to each other.

Against this historically and culturally charged backdrop, the design aimed to make the hidden aspects of the site's history visible and thus to stage and communicate the development of the castle grounds.

AppreciationGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2011

Jury verdict: The green space, clearly structured by wooden walkways, makes one of Berlin's most historic places usable and tangible, and has established itself as a popular place to stay for Berliners and visitors alike. The uniform choice of materials and the sparing use of design materials underline the experience of the large space by not distracting the viewer from the aura of a place whose future will still trigger many discussions.