100% Kreuzberg

The Dragoner area is one of the last large redesignable plots in Kreuzberg. Initially built as barracks for the Garde-Dragoner in the 19th century, today small businesses have settled here. Aim of the design is a public welfare-oriented urban development and a transformation under the guiding principle of the „Kreuzberg mix“ of living, culture and work.

URBAN SPACE: Morphology and density In addition to the transformation of the dominant morphology, the Berlin Block, five key urban planning themes are the corners¬tones for development of the area (mixed use, sustainability, activation of the existing stock, city of short distances, protection of historical monuments). Existing structures have been partially expanded by five- to seven-storey block structures. A central green corridor, flanked by social and cultural facilities, small shops, restaurants and start-ups, forms an element that links the residential and commercial quarter to the surrounding districts. The conversion of the buildings completes the mixing and creates an attractive mix of uses in the overall context. PROGRAM: Mixture and atmosphere A wide-ranging concept with plenty of room for development and participation opportunities for the most diverse user groups determines the programmatic design of the area. The core of the utilisation concept is an intensive social and functional mixing with many actors to create a heterogeneous and lively neighbourhood. The diverse cultural and social institu¬tions operate on three different levels: at neighbourhood level, locally at neighbourhood level and at house level. Central to this is the creation of a social living space that can be financed by all participating people, composed of diverse neighborhoods with readable identities and an urban character. Within this target, around 500 new residential units can be proven with the present planning. STRATEGY: Process and Set of Rules Taking into account the existing user structures, a process-oriented development approach has been pursued in which different possibilities of participation, organisation and sponsorship find their place as models for a user-driven urban develop¬ment. The realisation of the area begins with the activation of the buildings and green spaces worthy of preservation and the creation of cultural and social initiators in several construction phases. The aim of the development process is a differentiated and hetero¬geneous neighbourhood.