Development of the Schönefeld-Nord residential area

andreasschneiderarchitekten-Städtebaulich-freiraumplanerischer Wettbewerb Schönefeld-Nord

Urban, compact, green.

Schönefeld-Nord is an important area thanks to its location in relation to the Berlin city centre, its proximity to the capital’s new main airport and to existing landscape spaces, some of which feature historic buildings.

The new urban district of Schönefeld is characterised by greenery, meadows and waterbodies. The ‘culture mile’ that constitutes the new centre is an important identify-forming element. Higher buildings around the edge enclose the entire area and provide the noise control that is needed.

A sequence of squares links up the entire area and provides each small neighbourhood with public spaces. Our design for the new district creates links to all the adjacent existing districts on the north side of the railway and links this part of the city to the airport and the train station via an attractive connection to the south side. It integrates the special elements of the location and aims to create diverse, mixed and sustainable neighbourhoods. A range of different types of housing is able to respond to future trends and needs. A district with its own balance between living, working, leisure and nature is in the making.

Pedestrian’s perspective: entrance to the new urban district

In the new Schönefeld‐Nord district, where around 10,000 people will live, it is planned to build 4,300 apartments. In addition to the classical apartment buildings, there will also be co-housing and community building projects, as well as multi-generation or integrative residential projects. Socially subsidised housing will account for 30% of the total. Spaces that foster community building, such as multi-function rooms or repair cafés, are also being created.

The open block structure and the squares give every apartment views and access to green areas. The criteria defining the ‘15-minute city’ concept were taken into consideration during the planning process to ensure that the new residents have a high quality of living. Primary schools, kindergartens and facilities for the elderly are located near green spaces to facilitate participation in urban life and social integration via safe and barrier-free cycle paths and footpaths.

A new central axis from the railway station to the new grammar school is being created, along which cultural institutions and public spaces are lined up in a versatile shared space. This is optimally accessed by the public transport that runs through it and at the same time has an impact beyond the actual district itself.

The ground floors on the new central axis and on the new Hans‐Grade‐Allee and Waltersdorfer Chaussee are highly attractive for people on foot and provide premises for shops, leisure facilities, cafés and restaurants, with the aim of creating a lively city.

The northern strip between Planstrasse E and Kolonnenweg is characterised by public uses whose generous open spaces create a flowing transition to the green belt along what used to be the Berlin Wall.

A network of city squares complements the facilities on offer. It offers public spaces in different qualities and with various offerings for all user groups as well as ample opportunities for meeting other people, playing games and engaging in sports. This creates a space for shared experience and creativity, and thus a high level of identification with the locality.

The strips of greenery are completely car-free thanks to well-positioned mobility centres. There are open spaces of various qualities on every corner (skateboarding track, beach volleyball sand courts, football pitches and table tennis tables). Neighbourhood squares invite people to have a barbecue and to tend flower beds and vegetable patches together. The central underground station, a cinema, a theatre and various restaurants are located on the ‘culture mile’.
  • Planning
    2022
  • Rank
    3rd prize
  • Size of area
    158 hectares
  • Open Space Planning
    Anke Deeken Büro für Architektur Stadt- und Freiraumplanung Lichtplanung
  • Transport planning
    Masuch + Olbrisch Ingenieurgesellschaft für das Bauwesen
  • Model
    Monath + Menzel
  • Visualisation
    moka-studio
  • Competition
    Municipality of Schönefeld