UNDERSTANDINGTEMPELHOF Analysis and Proposal for Future Development of the Tempelhof Airport Dipl.Ing. Architect Sigismund Sliwinski Marek Mihok Summer 2014
INTRODUCTION On the second of June, 2014, the collaboration between an NYU Abu Dhabi student Marek Mihok and Dipl. Ing. Architect Sigismund Sliwinski started. During the next two months, the former Tempelhof airport became the center of their focus. Through a detailed analysis and in-depth understanding of the history, place and situation, they developed a proposal for a sustainable development project, which could be implemented on site. Tempelhof airport is a place of global significance. Here, pioneers like Orville Wright or Ferdinand von Zeppelin made history. The airport underwent a tumultuous history, from serving as a training ground to soldiers to having one of the few concentration camps placed within its area.During the Berlin blockade, Tempelhof became the symbol of resistance and freedom, as Allied Airlift delivered the cargo to secure the city’s survival. Today, six years after the last airplane took off from its ground and four years after it has been open as a public park, it still faces uncertain future. The senate of Berlin has approved a masterplan for the site, but the people of Berlin refuted it in a referendum in May 2014. This document presents our detailed analysis of the situation and concludes with a proposal for sustainable and adaptable development for the airport building and the area surrounding it.
CONTENT INTRODUCTION
2
ANALYZING THE SURROUNDING
3
ANALYZING THE INSIDE
10
ANALYZING THE EMOTIONS
16
QUESTIONS
20
ANALYZINGTHESURROUNDING The understanding of Tempelhof in the context of its location is essential before concentrating on the field itself. The surrounding neighborhoods give it its specific character and the city itself has transformed it several times in the past.The vastness of the former airport is remarkable and readily noticed when one looks at the people who use it. Ranging through all age and social groups, Tempelhof is now one of the favorite recreational spots for a city-wide community. Therefore, before any proposal is even formed, one has to look at the position of the place in Berlin. Simple questions as, what is around?, how to get there?, what kind of people live nearby?, what is the character of the neighborhoods? are answered in the upcoming part as a way to start thinking about the ways the current situation can be improved. The following section is divided into five parts: Infrastructure and Accessibility Built Structure and Density Program Open Space Neighborhoods Activity Centers of Neighborhoods
INFRASTRUCTURE&ACCESSIBLITY U-BAHN + S-BAHN The Tempelhof airport is located in a central location in Berlin. It is easily accessible by car or by public transportation from East and North, and by public transportation or walking from West . The Southern part borders with a highway along with S-bahn rail road, which obstructs the access to the airport.
u
u
Arterial roads
There are seven U-bahn or S-bahn stations within walking distance of Tempelhof, which makes the place accessible not only to the small community surrounding the field, but rather the whole city of Berlin.
ROAD TRAFFIC
Tempelhofer Damm on the western side and Columbia Damm on the North run right along the edges of the airport area. This separates the field from the local neighborhoods by the busy roads, as opposed to the eastern border with Neukoelln, which connects to a residential neighborhood directly.
5,000 - 10,000 CPD < 5,000 CPD
u u
u s
The Tempelhofer Damm is also one of the arterial roads of Berlin, connecting the south with the north. It is one of the roads with heavy loads of traffic, which causes problems such as pollution and noise, but also gives easy access to Temeplhof.
65 dB
60 dB
CYCLING + WALKING
55 dB
The center of the garden city as well as the Marheinekeplatz are located much closer together and their intersection on the Platz die Luftbrucke is actually a very busy area - the U-bahn station is located there in addition to many shops and retail spaces.
< 5,000 CPD
us E36
s walking distance radius
On the other hand, the Neukeolln neighborhood is further away and connects mostly to the busy Karl-Marx street and Hermanplatz. Overall, the airport is very easily accessible mainly on the North - Western corner.
CPD = cars per day
TRAFFIC SITUATION IN BERLIN
Berlin is a bustling metropolis with over 1.28 million cars registered. In addition, underground or city-railway lines connect different parts of the city on a total length of 426 km; tramlines have a total length of 173 km and there are 155 bus lines with a total number of 1800 buses. The great connectedness of various Berlin neighborhoods through public transport results in the moral split of 40:60 (the relation of public traffic to individual motor traffic). The traffic distribution is (in percentage of person journeys). - public traffic system - individual motor traffic - pedestrians - bicycles
27.1 43.0 22.7 7.2
NOISE PROBLEM
Tempelhof is surrounded by heavy traffic, which leads to high noice levels. If one sets a basic level of 65 dB(A), which can be seen, according to current noise research, as a threshold for increased heart attack risk, then 1,270 km of built-up roadsides in Berlin, or 70 %, could be seen as excessively polluted. From the graph of the Tempelhof airport, the green areas represent noise level above 60 db. We can see that this represents a serious problem and any development needs to mitigate the noise spread on the field. Also, pollution due to noise in recreation areas harms peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-being. Many of the 120 parks in Berlin, but also large parts of the urban recreational areas, are so noise polluted that their usefulness is greatly limited. That means that only dramatic action plans and guidelines will lead to a chance of reducing (air and noise) pollution caused by traffic to such a degree that the threshold values of the German Ordinance are no longer exceeded.
SUBWAY MAP BERLIN
Tempelhof is situated in a very special location in Berlin, right at the intersection of three neighborhoods. The highest residential density is towards the west and north, in the neighborhoods of Kreuzberg and Neukรถlln, which is dominated by old apartment houses - up to 5 stories high. Eastern part is significantly less dense, as the direct neighbor of Tempelhof is an urban village with rows of individual houses. These houses are prevalently single-family homes with gardens, rising up to two floors above ground. However, the Tempelhoferdamm is lined with a row of buildings similar to the Hermanstrasse road, which combine apartments with some public program (stores, offices) on the lower levels.
7.2
KM
.54KM
HIGH-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL LOW-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL PARKS + GREEN SPACES COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL USE SCHOOL
.65KM
% - IMPERVIOUS SURFACE (42-86%) (22-36%) (4-24%) (42-82%)
INHABITANTS/HA 350-550 PPL/HA 30-250 PPL/HA NONE
Southern part is disadvantaged compared to the other neighborhoods as it is cut off from the field by a busy highway and railroad. There are also industrial sites, which further alienate the field from the residential part of Tempelhof. In terms of density, several plots of land are still unused, which presents potential for further development.
PROGRAMOPENSPACE PARKS + GREEN SPACES CEMETERIES SPORTS FACILITES PUBLIC SPACES
VICTORIA PARK
HASENHEIDE
The area around Tempelhof is mostly used for residential purposes and programs that accompany this primary usage. It is a central area, with plentiful of various activities. The sport facilites as well as green areas are well represented. Especially to the north-east side of Tempelhof, a city park Hasenheide takes up a large area and is used for many recreational purposes. Its rough form is loved by the locals and the petting farm represents one of the main attractions of the neighborhood. Victoria Park on the North-West then offers a unique view of the city, from one of the few hilsl in Berlin.
ALLOTMENT GARDENS
Notable is the diverse character of urban spaces, with unusually high number of cemeteries in the area. Eastern and Northern part have scaled-up sport facilites such as the city swimming pool, or recreational area along the eastern border. On the other hand, the Southern and Western area have a number of small programs (parks, sport facilities), which correlates to the structure of residential units - Garden City representing individual houses for families.
NEIGHBORHOODS KREUZBERG Tempelhof airport has a unique location in the middle of Berlin. It is surrounded by three neighborhoods, each with its own set of features and characteristics. Because of its diverse surrounfing, a special care and attention has to be paid to the needs and requirements of the people that are affected the most by any developments on the airport. Kreuzberg is today one of the liveliest and busiest neighborhoods of Berlin. After the fall of the wall, it attracted many immigrant families and artists after the fall of the Berlin wall. Today Kreuzberg has one of the youngest populations of all European city boroughs, which together with the alternative culture means that many bars, pubs and nightclubs can be found in the area.
NEUKĂ&#x2013;LLN Neukeolln is characterized by having one of the highest percentage immigrants in Berlin. The borough is known for its large Turkish, Arab and Kurdish communities, which together make up roughly 18% of the borough's population. Another noticeable trend is the rapid gentrification of certain neighborhoods within the borough, where the influx of students, creatives and other young professionals of mostly Western origin has caused some tension.
TEMPELHOF/GARDEN CITY The Tempelhof district is located in the south-central part of the city.The garden city represents the more quient and reserved part of the neighborhood.It is accessible through two gates, one on the northern and the other on the southern end of the main road.
ACTIVITYCENTERSNEIGHBORHOODS MARHEINEKEPLATZ
The center of a neighborhood in Kreuzberg is the most vibrant and lively in the area, Two structrues attract and dominate the square - Marheineke Markthalle and Passionkirche. Marheineke Markthallle is one of the last Berlin market halls located between the Marheinekeplatz and Bergmannstraße, a popular shopping street with many cafes, restaurants and small shops, particularly flea and antique shops
ADOLF SCHEIDT SQUARE
In the center of the Garden city in Neu-Tempelhof, the Adolf Scheidt Square is a square of small proportios, without a public program. The neighborhood consists of largely small, up to three stories residential houses, which provides for a quiet and slow phase. The access to the square leads through two gates - one on the north and one on the south, in addition to the promenade, which connects it directly wirh a busy road on the east. This center is much less active and used dominantly by the residents of the surrounding houses. The passage way from South to North is around 2km long, but with scarce public program to attract pedestrians to walk.
HERRFURTHPLATZ
MOVEMENT
The scribbled lines represent the approximate main movement and usage of the people in and around the centers of the neighborhoods. Marheinekeplatz is a busy square with many programs happening mostly on the Bergmannstraße, which runs parallel to Columbia Damm and connects the area with Südstern. On the other hand, Adolf Scheidt Square is very local - no public usage, serves solely for the purposes of the residents of the Garden City. Some program happens on Paradestraße, which connects it with the Tempelhof field. Herrfurthplatz takes advantage of its nearby location to Hermannstraße, but still remains relativey enclosed and private. A general mix of residential apartments with some shops and cafes determine the character.
Right off Hermanstraße, Herrfurthplatz is tucked away from the hustle and noise of the main road. It is a center of a quiet residential area, with a mix of locals and immigrants of mainly Turkish and Arabic origin. Herrfurthplatz is a square that works as a meeting place and socializing spot - some good restaurants and cafes are located very closeby. The center of the square is occupied by an Evangelical church. In all, the character of the square makes it more usable for direct residents rather than large crowds seeking shops and active entertainment.
ANALYZINGTHEINSIDE Having acquired the knowledge of what surrounds Tempelhof, in this section we are going to analyze the inner part of the field. During an idea development stage, it is easy to forget the natural elements and the complexity of any given location in a city. However, it is an important part of any analysis to take a very close look at the most mundane factors, such as the temperature and climate or the air flow. It is only through analysis of all the factors and alements that one can proceed to fully understand the specificites of Tempelhof. Asking very specific questions can lead to surprising problems, which could be hardly discovered, if this part was just glanced over. As we will discover, Tempelhof is anything, but an ordinary piece of land. The winds as well as the biodiversity of the earth change the way we can alter the field and thus become important factors in the later development of a sustainable proposal. The following section is divided into these parts: Earth Earth - Biodiversity Energy - Surfaces Energy - Climate Air Exchange
EARTH The surface of the Tempelhof field is very unique in its vastness and almost complete flatness. There are only several places which bulge out of the plain. The former training ground for the US military soldiers has diverse structure and attains almost park - like character with several hills and high vegetation. On the southern part, the field slowly rises above the level, to a height of approximately 1-2m. The gentle slope is almost unnoticeable, but is enough to hinder the view of the airport building on the other side. Along the western border with the Neukeolln neighborhood, another slope marks a slight change of the landscape. It covers walkway running behind it with a row of trees and serves a nice view-point of the field. Fl채chenvergleich BerlinerasTiergarten und Tempelhofer Feld mit Randbebauung
EARTHBIODIVERSITY Grassland and Forb communities Green and open spaces Dry and unimproved grassland Bushes, lines and groups of trees Rudelar Flora House and small gardens
The Tempelhof Field is not just an empty, large abandoned airport. In fact, it’s size and the unintentional transformation into park has made the field flourish with different kinds of flora. Especially in the middle of a city, diversity of flora is often lacking - parks and traditional urban green spaces offer similar conditions for growth, and congested street conditions don’t allow for the growth of small plants due to the lack of sunlight and higher pollution. The Tempelhof airport has the potential to bring even more variety into the green space by cultivating the areas inside of it. On the diagram, the area of the old Tempelhof represents the most biodiverse part in a large area of the field. As a result, this part should be carefully preserved in the future.
In the inner city, the vacant areas (Biotope Types 21, 35) are counted among the most valuable habitats. In contrast to other cities, where vacant areas resulting from war-time damage were rebuilt relatively quickly, extraordinarily species-rich vacant areas were able to develop in Berlin because of the political situation, particularly on the unused or only partially used railway right-of-ways. On these warm urban locations, species such as the ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima) and the Adriatic oak (Quercus cerris), which otherwise occur only in southern Europe, can live. Outstanding locations with high species diversity and numerous endangered plants and animal species include the Südgelände and remainders of the Gleisdreieck. Many vacant areas have been lost in the last years through development and/or are endangered through current construction projects.
ENERGYSURFACES AIRPORT BUILDING
Remaining one of the largest buildings in Europe, the airport building is a concrete structure, plated in stone. Large empty areas within the building the entry hall and the hangars present challange with keeping up the temperature. The building is not insulated and large amounts of heat are lost.
CONCRETE APRON
The surface of the concrete skirt covers cca 236,000 sqrm. Completely flat, it was finished to serve as a smooth surface for planes. The large area collects heat in the hot days, and due to its material properties retains the temperature for long times - contributing to the air exchange in the field.
CONCRETE RING+ RUNAWAYS
The runaways are connected with the building by a circular road, which runs around the whole periphery of the field. Compared to the concrete apron, the ringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface is in a worse condition, overgrown by weeds and detoriated in many places. Runaways, each app. 1km long run in the East West direction across the field.
GRASS FIELD
Grass and empty land covers most of the 368ha area. It is flat and covered by various types of grass and plants. In the middle, it currently serves as a reserve for several types of protected bird species.Due to the quick cooling of the earth and flat surface, there is a lot of air exchange happening in the field. (see more AIR)
ENERGYCLIMATE PRECIPITATION (mm)
TEMPERATURE MAX MIN(C)
90
40
72
30
54
20
36
20
18
0
0
-10 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
The building of former tempelhof faces north-west direction - taken by the direction of the axis of the semi-circular shape. The shape and orientation of the building mean that the inner side facing the field gets most of the sunlight during the day. The western side gets some afternoon light, whereas the northern part - the one neighboring Kreuzberg gets only very little light in the late evening. Additionally, according to the Senate Department for Urban Development’s study on potential of solar-power surfaces, the roof of the building has low potential, given its categorization as “pre-war community needs & special use” urban structural type.
Berlin's climate is oceanic. The temperate Berlin weather only serves to increase the city's attraction as a hub for tourism. Summers (June to August) are pleasantly warm with average highs of 22°C to 25°C. Wintertime (December to February) can be much colder with temperature highs only reaching 4°C to 5°C. However, the built-up buildings across Berlin trap heat making the city best explored on foot during the coldest weather in Berlin.
SUMMER
Summer comes in early June and lasts till August in Berlin. During this period the average high temperature stands at mid 20s while the low hardly reaches 16 °C. June is considered as the sunniest month of the year with more than 222 hours of sunshine. A moderate level of rainfall is very much common in the city throughout the year.
FALL
Autumn, from September till November, in Berlin features more temperate weather. The average high falls dramatically and stands at 18°C in September, then 14°C in October. November sees colder temperature with not more than 8°C of average high. Moreover, the nighttime with 4°C seems chilly to tourist. The last month of the season witnesses below two hours of sunshine per day.
WINTER
Winter remains chilly in Berlin. Temperature falls around 2°C during this season while the minimums around -3°C cause frequent frosts and icy roads. January is the coldest month of the year when the average high stands at 1.9°C. During this month Berlin receives only 46 hours of sunshine. However, as the season progresses both temperature and sunshine increase gradually.
SPRING
Spring, from March till early June, is the best time to visit the capital city of Germany located the northeast of the country. The period sees a great level of sunshine and more pleasant weather. Although sudden heavy shower may surprise tourists, it makes the city more stunning.
SUMMER SOLSTICE SUN PATH NW
8AM - 2PM
2PM - 6PM
7PM - 9PM
AIREXCHANGE
AIR FLOW AND EXCHANGE For the consideration of the cold air budget at intra-urban locations, the southwestern part of Tempelhof Airport with a 500 m long section along Tempelhofer Damm was selected Fig. 8. The former Tempelhof Airport shows, due to its size and location within the city of Berlin, a high relevance for urban climate and a significant local contribution for the reduction of summery thermal stress in the adjacent settlement area. With regard to the air exchange rate, two areas with relatively high hourly air exchange rates of over 30 per grid cell are recognizable in the airport area, including its apron area, and the intersection of Tempelhofer Damm and the A 100 freeway. Despite the high air-exchange rate, even in terms of broad
extent, the generation of the topographically generated wind over the apron area is impaired by the air terminal both at 10 PM and at 6 AM. Due to its low surface roughness, the street and rail track located in the southwest of the former airport, allows the cold air from the Tempelhof field to flow to a western direction. The range of this flow amounts, starting from the Tempelhofer Damm, to approx. 700 m (cf. Fig. 8). At this time, it is juxtaposed to an eastward cold-air flow from the allotment-garden colonies of the SchĂśneberg South Terrain, whereas both topographically generated winds extend up to the AlboinstraĂ&#x;e. By 6 AM, the latter topographically generated wind from the allotment-garden area has come to
a virtual standstill, while the range of the topographically generated wind starting from Tempelhof Airport has doubled to approx. 800 m and penetrates up to 400 m to the south to Tempelhofer Damm. Table 3 summarizes the results for the grid cells located along the considered segment. It can be observed, that the calculated values decrease slightly over the course of the night. This is ascribed to the fact, that the temperature level within the developed areas is decreasing and thus reduces the thermal gradient as a "driving mechanism" for air exchange processes.
ANALYZINGTHEEMOTIONS At this stage of the analysis, the hard facts and numbers give way to human emotions. It is sometimes hardly explainable, but places, buildings and structures evoke feelings, for which we have no explanation. Tempelhof is so unique that the cocktail of emotions one has upon seeing it is not comparable to any other structure in the world. Everything, from the buildings that surround it, to the vast openness of the field makes a strong impression and alters the view of Berlin itself. Moreover, Berliners have recently undertaken several exciting communal projects, which significantly contribute to the liveliness and experience of Tempelhof. In the following part, the three parts explain what one can see when he takes a stroll around or inside the field and how that might affect him The section is comprised of these parts: Memorable places at the periphery Pioneers Memorable views
MEMORABLE PLACESPERIPHERY
PRESERVING THE CHARACTER The Tempelhof airport is surrounded by a number of places that stand out from the ordinary. From large buildings such as the police station on Columbiadamm to churches and memorials, the surrounding offers a great variety of experiences. One can feel the changing nature of the neighborhoods and experience the rich history of the city. The challenge for the future development at the airport is then to respect and work with the existing elements surrounding the site. The future program should bridge over the vast field and serve to connect the diverse neighborhoods, rather than further propell the gap between them
PIONEERS As one of the first steps undertaken by the Senate in the efforts to establish new program on Tempelhof, three areas for Pioneer users were established. Originally lasting only until 2013, the pioneers are still active in their original locations. Various programs from successful urban garden Almende Kontor to art mini golf, wind skating and segways have transformed the field into a recreational hub of a wider area. However, the time limit and scale restrictions donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow for the full development of the potential of the pioneering projects.
COLUMBIADAMM OSLOER STR.
TEMPELHOFERDAMM
MEMORABLEVIEWSNORTH
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADAR TOWER
FERNSEH TURM KIRCHE AM SÜDSTERN ALEXANDER PLATZ
SAINT JOHANNES BASILIKA
QUESTIONS This last part of the analysis is dedicated to a summary and contemplation of the learned facts. Before advancing further to the next stage, which is the idea development, we have to stop and think about the numerous specificities of Tempelhof. We analyzed the former Tempelhof airport from external to internal factors, which opened up many points for discussion.
?
QUESTIONSOUTSIDE ENTRYWAY
This brings about questions of program and usage - the area most suitable for initial development is the north-east corner, as it is the most accessible location, with several U-bahn stations and easy access from Columbia Damm. However, the problem here has to do with the building of the former airport. The massive structure does not allow direct access to the field and for the present time one needs to walk around it to get to the field. As a result, a new entryway(s) need to consider both the location and the relationship to the main building
PROGRAM ACTIVATION
1 2
0 ?
CURRENT CENTERS TRANSITION SPACES FIRST STAGE ACTIVATION SECOND STAGE ACTIVATION
ACCESSIBILITY
What makes Tempelhof unique is also what makes it so difficult to create a single plan of development. The first major obstacle is the heavy traffic which obstructs the access on 3 out of 4 sides - the only really accessible side is the western, but the southern can be connected with the field only through a radical intervention in the plan - either with an over ground or underground passageway.
PIONEERING PROGRAMS
The possibilites for program activation on the field are endless, but not all of them are appropriate. The first step is to choose the location(s) on the field that have the highest potential fo usage and realize that potential. Our belief is that the Tempelhof airport should be a natural extension of its surroounding adding and building on top of existing elements in the area. The goal is to bring the sort of activities and program that is needed by the people of Berlin. The pioneers have already established certain uses and the system has proved to be successful. Building on top of that, the three locations (0,1,2) have the highest potential in starting the development. The southernmost area faces problems of connectivity and the noise due to the infrastructure surrounding it.
QUESTIONSINSIDE
OFFICE BUILDING VS SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM
The current plan of the Senate for the building is to lease the space to companies as offices. Considering that most of the space inside is occupied by empty hangars, â&#x20AC;&#x153;onlyâ&#x20AC;? 67,000m2 can be used for permanent offices. The rest, 70,000m2, is as of now planned to be rented for events and temporary programs. The hangars have a full length of 850m, are 49m deep, 12m high and are equipped with motorized folding doors. This dual character creates an interesting set of possibilites for the future uses. Rather than using the huge vacant hangars temporarily, a permanent program should be established, complementing the office use as well as the function of the field behind it. Urban gardening as a way of using the space could be one of the options - hangars are ideal for the growth of various kinds of vegetables and fruits all year round - given the protection from the outside elements and the orientation of the hangars towards the sunny south.