Conceptual Urban Renewal Outlines Against Proposed Mediaspree Project at Holzmarkt Area in Berlin: A Proposal to Remodel Vibrant Urban Space

Sayed Ahmed

doi:10.54392/ajir2143

Abstract

The German capital city of Berlin, amongst all European cities, is well known as one of the most freethinking center but yet historical. Its industrial historic structures and heritage elements over the spree river shore are reanalyzed and reexamined in this case study with emphasis on club culture and social recreation. The important issue is that, the structures and architectural style of these few surviving buildings have the common features and also diversities which were never brought under light and even ignored to let them became hub for unsocial activities like drug dealing and unhygienic adobes for homeless peoples. To discover and recognize their current contribution and possible social attribute over the whole city fabric, the main construct of this paper is to rethink Berlin’s so called public cohesion on the basis of recreational character and its associated urban order. The research question is: “What is the topmost role played by such built elements for formation of a distinct civic culture and keep Berlin alive?” To reveal the conceivable theoretical framework of this study will try to accentuate same facts and aspects followed by descriptive-analytical method and suggest independent and dependent variables, possible cooperative urban inventions based on the inhabitants’ interest, protest and demands against privatization of Media Spree. Documentation, field survey, associated drawings, related photographs from different time intervals and model studying was helpful for analyzing the urban morphology. The proposed design will try to indicate that the historic industrial buildings, pubs and markets, art practice and the overall landscape has tremendous bilateral relations for the wellbeing of city dwellers; which could be shaped well into a main ‘Axis’ of cultural activities, which Berlin is not posed with currently.

Highlights

This area is under a threat from futuristic master plan of Media Spree proposed by Berlin Senate during the 1990’s
An important issue in adaptive reuse projects is related to the “admissible limits for changing”, and related to the compatibility between intrinsic values and innovative values
Values linked to history and collective memory are known as intrinsic, while new use values that is the problem related to the suitable “choices” and need meticulous decision making are known as adaptive value. (Girard et al, 2019) The reuse project involves a preliminary evaluation of the building, to identify criteria for the preferable design choices

Summary

Introduction

This area is under a threat from futuristic master plan of Media Spree proposed by Berlin Senate during the 1990’s. (Figure 1) This ignited protest against privatization with public funds of such public places. If accomplished, this project will raise the tenant rents; create adverse impact over their livelihoods and limit their earnings. A serious political concern is involved, as leftist SPD and environmentalist Green Party jointly leading such upfront since 2008, they believe it’s a ‘project of valorization’. Such event exploded debates among the concerned experts of urban heritage conservation against such evil root. For industrial monuments, things are more difficult as their decayed physical structures, out worn industrial tools and structural details are not given proper heed for preservation, for just being unaesthetic (Figure 2a, 2b)

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Conclusion