Gehrenseestraße
Mixed-Use Neighbourhood
Berlin-Lichtenberg
Client
Belle Époque & HOWOGE
Program
Mixed-use district with approximately 1,050 residential units plus social infrastructure and commercial spaces, totaling about 162,000 m² gross floor area (GFA).
1st Prize, Urban Design Workshop Process, 2018
Urban Development Framework Plan, 2019 ongoing
Team
MLA+ / Studio M³
Competition:
Markus Appenzeller, Richard Gray, Andrew Kitching, Christoph Michael, Maximilian Müller, Natalya Pirogova, Martin Probst, Magdalena Szczypka, Mateusz Zieliński
Framework Plan:
Anna Gribatskaia, Agnes Helming, Christoph Michael, Maximilian Müller, Marina Rondini, Mateusz Zieliński
Landscape Design
Competition: Atelier Loidl Landschaftsarchitekten
Framework Plan: Grieger Harzer Dvorak Landschaftsarchitekten
Model Making
mhk21 Modellbau und Konstruktion
Concept
The mixed-use residential quarter developed by Belle Époque and HOWOGE will include approximately 1,050 new apartments, a school, and smaller commercial units. After two evaluation rounds, MLA+ emerged as the competition winner and was commissioned to further develop the master plan.
The urban design is both an expression of a strong spatial concept and a response to the challenging noise situation of the site. Based on the typical Berlin housing typology of rental buildings arranged around a courtyard, the design is inspired by the reform architecture of the early 20th century. The outer block edges, connected by “bridges,” form an effective barrier against noise pollution. This results in attractive, spacious, green, and quiet open spaces within the quarter’s interior.
The composition of the urban blocks creates a network of open spaces, plazas, courtyards, and gardens, each with its own distinct character. Along the periphery, the new quarter is framed by square openings that establish connections to the public spaces of adjacent neighborhoods. The two centrally located semi-public courtyards serve as places for neighborhood interaction and simultaneously act as identifiable addresses. The private garden courtyards, accessible through passageways, create unique and more intimate “green worlds.”
From the jury’s assessment:
The design, oriented towards traditional Berlin courtyards, creates a quarter with a metropolitan character. The deliberate placement of building volumes within the planning area generates attractive and well-proportioned urban spaces, strongly accentuated by five high-rises and the school building to the east. The relatively noise-protected courtyards offer the maximum possible share of quiet apartments.
The subdivision of the planning area into clearly defined block units as identifiable addresses provides potential for the quarter to develop its own identity. The inclusion of a convincing number of commercial units ensures urban vibrancy and a lived-in character for the area. Regarding aesthetic sustainability, the design offers the possibility of achieving architectural diversity.