Campus Weißensee
Extension of an Art Academy
Berlin-Weißensee
Client
Land Berlin (Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen / Senatskanzlei – Wissenschaft und Forschung), Kunsthochschule Berlin (Weißensee) – Hochschule für Gestaltung (KHB)
Program
Expansion of the Berlin-Weißensee School of Art – University of Design on a former allotment garden site.
The project includes both university and public functions, encompassing approx. 30,000 m² GFA on a 1.7‑hectare site.
Selected Design, Städtebauliches Gutachterverfahren (Urban Design Advisory Process), 2020
Urban Development Framework Plan 2021 – 2024
Team
MLA+ / Studio M³
Competition:
Ildar Biganiakov, Anna Gribatskaia, Ola Gordowy, Minseo Kim, Christoph Michael, Maximilian Müller, Max Mütsch, Mateusz Zieliński
Framework Plan:
Amelie Böllert, Omar Elfadaly, Isabel Fischer, Maximilian Müller
Landscape Design
Lohrengel Landschaft
Model Making
mhk21 Modellbau und Konstruktion
Concept
Rooted in the local context, the urban design builds on existing qualities and evolves them into a coherent spatial framework. Key to the concept are generous open spaces and strong integration with the surrounding neighbourhood. By extending the green corridor along the eastern edge towards Bühringstraße and connecting the mixed-use zone in the south to Am Steinberg, the site becomes highly accessible and visibly open to its urban context.
Four distinct clusters are clearly arranged around a central square – a pivotal space bridging old and new. In the spirit of a marketplace, all public-facing functions are oriented toward this square. Transparent ground floors accommodate uses such as gastronomy, exhibitions, a library, and the KHB studio stage, activating the heart of the campus.
The result is a vibrant and inviting meeting place. Its lively, extroverted character contrasts with the more introspective spaces within the clusters, which support study and artistic work. With its human scale and fine-grained architecture, the design integrates gently yet confidently into its surroundings.