URBAN RIVER MAGNETS urbanism | urban design
URBAN RIVER MAGNETS
URBAN DESIGN | URBAN RIVER MAGNETS
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INFORMATIONS Location Charlottenburg Berlin Germany Team Guilherme Messias Kathrin Beyer Chaoyu Du Yueqi Wang Mentors Ă yne Ryan Katharina Hagg Year 2016/17
The river in the city of Berlin was the guiding element for urban development. Since the beginning of the settlement, the river connects important sites, not only cultural, but economical, political and social spots. Berlin has 12 different districts and a lot more of neighborhoods. They have their own identity and dynamic within the city. Each one has its own core and relationships with other parts of the city, regarding economical issues, cultural matters and social dynamics. In our vision, the river should be a place for people to use it, meet up, commute, enjoy. It is a common good, and therefore must be accessible to everybody. The proposal presented here starts from the principle that Spree should be reintegrated in the urban dynamic and it has the potential for a civic spine in Berlin, since it already congregates some important uses and buildings.
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„Because of further economic development and history, the river became a border inside the city. It lost its importance for economy but also as a place of meeting.“
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BERLIN WIDE SCALE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
ANALISYS
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Like many other cities, Berlin developed by the river. It all started where trade and exchange have been natturally supported by an extensive natural water system that connected Berlin to the hinterland and to the sea. When Berlin first experienced sudden growth during the industrial revolution, the network of connections became very complex. Many small towns became one big city- a character that is still visible today with Berlin‘s many Kieze and district centers. The Spree has been extended by numerous channels and has been made more efficient for transport. Additionally, the network of roads grew and motorized traffic, on roads and water, gave Berlin the possibility for a steep economic rise. And the river played a major importance as many goods and production materials used the river for efficient transportation. Therefore, the Spree and its embankments have been a central place in the city for interaction. People came for work and trade but also used civic functions that developed by and along the river. When looking at the urban fabric it becomes clear that road and river form one networl. They don‘t coexist but have numerous nodes that connect them. Nevertheless, the role of Spree for Berlin today is somewhat different even if the consistent network still exists in the urban fabric. Because of further economic development and history, the river became a border inside the city. It lost its importance for economy but also as a place of meeting and interacting.
DIAGRAM FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF SPREE IN BERLIN
ROAD-RIVER NETWORK
SCHOOL CHURCH COURT
SHOPPIN
PUBLIC TRANSPORT CHURCH
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SCHLOSS CHARLOTTENBURG
U B
GYM
SCHOOL
CITY H SHOPPING
U
B
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
CHURCH
PUBLIC TRANSPORT SHOPPING
B B
NG
B
PUBLIC TRANSPORT B
HALL
H
SCHOOL
B
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SHOPPING
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B
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OBSERVATIONS
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MOVING IN OF YOUNGER PEOLPLE AND FAMILIES: THEY LIKE THE LOCATION BUT DON‘T FEEL REPRESENTED YET IN TERMS OF SHOPPING GASTRONOMY AND RECREATION FACILITIES
THE NEIGHBORHOOD SOUTH OF THE RIVER IS RELATIVELY STABLE, A LOT OF OLDER PEOPLE LIVE HERE, FEW PEOPLE MOVE IN
A LOT OF PEOPLE COMMUTE TO WORK BUT WOULD LIKE TO LIVE HERE IF ATTRACTIVE HOUSING AND FACILITIES WERE THERE
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A TWO-STRATEGY SYSTEM
Our aim is to strengthen the potential of the river as a space and reintegrate it into the network. But not only in terms of economy but as the civiv spine of the city. To achieve our aim, we have two strategies. One consists in connecting the centers to the river, through a particular set of tools. And seconds is to develop sites by the river, which can activate some centers that have potential, but are currently underused.
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The strategy is to work with and use the existing urban fabric. The network of makor roads with its squares ar conjunctions that is visible at city scale also exists at neighborhood scale. Public squares are important nodes in the road network and mark the centers of the Kieze. Civic functions like schools, churches, shops and other amenities are situated around these squares, Additionally, they play and important role of orientation on neighborhood scale, simply because they are well known places and easily identificable. To activate the river in this context, we want to add or strengthen the connections beteween these centers of a neighborhood and the river. We want to use the urban fabric to lead from the centers to the river an vice versa. To attract people to the river, we develop riverside spots according to the profile and character of the adjacent neighborhood. Introducing important civic functions (social, cultural, housing, economical) to these spots, they serve as a window from the river to the „hinterland“. One tool in this approach which connects both parts of the strategy is the typology of the high-rise. Placed at the river, they work as a landmark and point of orientation. They give identity, attract people by creating curiosity and help to navigate through the urban fabric. Used as a sequence all over the city, the Spree could then be used for orientation for the first time. Pottentially this could change Berlin‘s attitude towards high-rises. These developments should be planned according to the adjancent neighborhoods and offer a variety of usages as well as include various stakeholders. Thereby local and external stakeholders can be included. As Berlin is in need of housing, it should be part of every development along the river.
STRATEGY
To connect the different spots and actually develop the civic spine on the river, we propose a river bus system, which will articulate the existing network and include the river in it. The stops for the river bus should be first on the new developments by the river, and then add where it is needed.
Based on analysis and urban fabric tools, we developed a program of different typologies and uses. Basically it includes housing, commercial and office spaces, as well as cultural and medical functions. To be able to offer this varietyof uses, we aim for cross financing affordable, funded and student housing through higher priced rented and freehold apartments, especially those in exclusive position. Assisted housing is offered by the clinic, which will have a supportive function both way. The eye-catching elevated perimeter located directly by the river contains cultural functions like a library, neighborhood workshops, a stage, rehearsal and conference rooms. For financial support of the municipality, parts of the floor space is rented to matching commercial functions (bookstore, material store, etc)
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With the development of our example site in Charlottenburg, we aim to introduce functions that are suitable for the sorrounding neighborhood. The analysis showed that on the one hand we have a population south of the river which is older than average. On the northern side, the profile used to be similar but there is a clear increase in younger people and families moving in. The eastern areas on the contrary, are less residential but more dominated by offices and production.
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BERLIN WIDE STRATEGY VISION
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DESIGN
Mierendorff has a quite consolidated urban structure, formed mainly by perimeter square blocks with mostly residential uses. But there is a huge industrial site currently occupied by a thermal plant, but on the process of deactivation. Also there are heritage protected buildings, and on the side there are gas tanks currently unused. Our design proposal focus on this gas tanks site, which allows us to develop both strategies presented above. First it is possible to develop a spot by the river, where it can constitute a civic center. Second, it attracts attention from the people in the neighborhood to the river through the high-rise designed by the river. This site connects both squares to the north and to the south.
The different typologies creates two different open spaces. The bigger one, right on the core is linked to the riverbank and connects the neighborhood to the north. It has a more public character. The second on is inside the perimeter block and constitutes a more private place, to the residents, since it has apartments on the groundfloor.
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There are four different typologies, and each one has its own use and establishes different relationships with the public urban spaces. By the river there is a high-rise which guides people to the embankment. Also by the river, there is a lifted perimeter that opens up to the riverside, this way making a single space with the open spaces. To the north, close to typical Berliner block, the perimeter block makes the link to the existing urban fabric. Additionally, there are blades and a office block.
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GROUNDFLOOR PLAN
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SECTIONS
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BLADE BLADE
PERIMETER PERIMETER BLOCK BLOCK
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LIFTED PERIMETER LIFTED PERIMETER
OFFICE BLOCK OFFICE BLOCK
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TYPOLOGIES
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STAKEHOLDERS
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PROGRAM
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In this section, we added to the documentaded projetc the drawings and diagrams from the framework development. Although it does not show the final design, some of the ideas have the origin on this process. Here are shown the proto-concept of civic spine on the river on Berlin-wide scale, the open space profile by the river at Mierendorff and the green network on the same neighborhood. All these drawings contributed to develop our design, storyline and concept for Berlin and Mierendorff.
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FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT
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GUILHERME MESSIAS | PORTFOLIO ARCHITECTURE | URBANISM
CONTACT
Telefon +55 11 979 558 823 Other works https://issuu.com/guilhermemessias
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E-mail guilhermesmessias@gmail.com