SOCIETY
Floating Berlin, a summer-only floating learning space
In the center of Berlin, Germany, there is a rainwater retention area that has been left behind by development. Every time it rains, about 10cm of water accumulates, and it is a mysterious site surrounded by trees even though it is in the city center. Here, the Berlin architectural group "Raumlabor" has started "Floating Berlin", a summer-only learning space that floats on the water. There are no desks or toilets. To move around, you need to use a bridge or rubber boots. Once you step out of the comfortable air-conditioned classroom, a learning experience that can only be found here awaits.
Text: Mariko Sugita
Photo: Mariko Sugita, Lena Giovanazzi, Evey Kwong
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PROIFILE
- Mariko Sugita
- She majored in urban sociology at Aarhus University in Denmark, and then obtained a master's degree in Urban Studies at the Free University of Brussels. After gaining experience in producing and marketing spatial design and urban development projects at Loftwork Inc., he moved to North America in May 2018 and became a freelancer. His activities center around editing, including city-related reporting, writing, research, translation, planning, and media management.
- Florian Stirnemann
- Studied design at ZHDK in Zurich. Specialized in interior design and scenography. Worked at the architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in Basel from 2000 to 2001. Collaborated with Hanslede Stirnemann from 2004 to 2008. Worked on projects with Mobile Academy Berlin and has collaborated with Phil Collen since 2012.
Former airport site left behind by development
Did you know that there is a disused airport still standing in the center of Berlin?
Tempelhof Airport, which opened in 1923, was designed as part of Hitler's capital city plan and was the site of the Berlin Airlift during the Cold War. Although it no longer functions as an airport, the vast grounds, including the buildings and runway, have been left untouched and undeveloped, despite being located in the center of the city.
Floating Berlin, a temporary learning space that floats on water, is set in a stormwater retention area on the grounds of the former Tempelhof Airport.
"We thought it would be a shame to leave it abandoned, even though it's in the center of the city. This rainwater retention area is surrounded by trees, so it's appealing to be able to feel nature."
Florian, a member of Raumlabor, the architectural group that plans and manages Floating Berlin, explained how it all began. Raumlabor is a group that conducts experimental activities that temporarily transform urban spaces under the motto "Urban prototypes." A small group of around 10 people carry out provocative projects that question the existing state of architecture and cities.
Although it is in a good location in the center of the city, this troublesome place is regularly inundated with rainwater. "It's a place that is constantly changing, and we don't know what kind of development will be waiting for us in the future. That's why we thought of this place as a test field, and we came up with the idea of creating a place to conduct experiments for a limited time."
The inspiration came from the exhibition "The World is Not Fair," which took advantage of the vast grounds of the former Tempelhof Airport. Organized by Raumlabor, the exhibition featured Danish artist Olafur Eliasson and others, who used recycled materials to create several large pavilions. The DIY-spirited exhibition, built from scratch by 15 artists, became the seed for the next project.
The important thing is to "continue to negotiate." Berlin is a place that is tolerant of change and experimentation.
“The storm water retention basin is city-owned, so we first had to convince the authorities that we could use it,” Florian explains.
It must be difficult for the city to give permission for an experimental project without a clear picture of its actual situation. When asked how he managed to convince the city, he answered with a grin, "We just didn't stop it."
The Raumlabor office is located in a building that was once part of the Berlin Wall that divided East and West. We were shown around the building, which has an old factory-like appearance, and saw that several projects were underway within the vast building.
In Berlin, we often see people creating parks and occupying buildings without permission. It seems that the Berlin way is to just keep asking and trying, regardless of whether they have permission or not.
"After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and East and West were reunited, suddenly many things became possible. Berlin was poor, but thanks to that, it fostered an environment of freedom that made it easy for artists to live in, and experimental culture flourished."
Floating Berlin started in 2018. A group of buildings was built around a temporary scaffolding, which was pasted around the entire site of the reservoir area. The base was an "Urban Forest" designed by the Japanese architecture firm Atelier Bow-Wow, which was created by Raumlabor members as well as volunteers gathered via Facebook and other means, with the participation of students and the general public. The archipelago-like appearance is charming, with bridges that allow people to come and go as they please.
They reached out to multiple universities around the world and began holding summer-only lectures and workshops that anyone could participate in. The theme for 2019 was "Climate Care." In the age of climate change, how can people create an environment that cares for the environment? They invited children and refugees living in Germany to discuss and act at the same time in a 10-day festival. "In 2019, we all made compost and hot springs together," Florian said with a laugh. In any case, there is a spirit of making everything ourselves.
Get used to inconvenience, create it if it doesn't exist
"Here, we don't have printers, sinks, air conditioners, or a cafeteria, like you would find at a normal university. It's so inconvenient that if you need something, you have to take action to get it. There were no desks or chairs at first, so we had to make them from scratch. Because of this, you inevitably end up helping out the people around you, and it also gives rise to new forms of communication."
Floating Berlin "floats" on polluted, muddy water that has washed up from all over the city, and you have to move around by bridges or by walking around in rubber boots.
"Because there is no sink, when you want to wash something, you have to stop and think, "Hmm, what should I do?" The same goes for the toilet. There are no flush toilets here (laughs). When you go to the bathroom, you inevitably have to think about where the sewage water goes."
We don't usually pay much attention to urban infrastructure such as sewage systems. This is because we take it for granted that there is no need to think deeply about it. Florian explains that there are things we can learn by entering a world where this "obviousness" does not exist.
Be aware of the limitations and dangers of being "momentary and provisional"
The important thing is to change people's mindset
On the other hand, short-term, experimental projects also carry certain risks.
"Until recently, Berlin was tolerant of any kind of experimentation, but now it has become quite cramped. The low-income neighborhoods have been revitalized by artists and other cultural activities, leading to redevelopment and investment, and land prices have skyrocketed."
As this phenomenon of gentrification spread throughout Berlin, people became skeptical of short-term projects that were supposed to increase the value of neighborhoods. If an area is revitalized, capital flows in and land prices rise, which in turn makes it harder to conduct interesting experiments.
"That's why, when we undertake short-term projects, our aim is not just to make a place attractive or to carry out provocative experiments, but to bring about a change in people's attitudes towards the future," Florian explains.
"In the end, it's people that matter. I think festival-like, short-term projects are dangerous, especially when they are commercial. We always want to do things that relate to public spaces and provide more value to people."
The significance of Floating Berlin lies not in creating an amazing building on the water, but in learning together with the citizens and thinking together about the future of this place, Berlin, and the world.
Florian says that the theme for 2020 is still under consideration. He plans to continue preparations for the next experiment, such as setting up a regular weekly open dialogue for the summer event. We will be keeping an eye on Floating Berlin's activities, which tackle social issues in a temporary, light-hearted, yet serious manner.
| What is "POP UP SOCIETY"? | "POP UP SOCIETY" is an irregularly published magazine that ASNOVA ran from March 2020 to March 2022 with the aim of getting the general public interested in the industry and contributing to the mid-to-long term shortage of young talent in the temporary construction industry. It introduces unique and experimental initiatives from Japan and abroad through interviews with people and companies, experience reports, and more, focusing on temporary construction. |
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