AM TACHELES / Berlin, Germany / Bikesafe

Compared to many similar new-build neighbourhoods in Berlin, the square in the new AM TACHELES district has its own unique quality thanks to its shape, opening, façade design and planting. As a small highlight, there is a mirrored cylinder in the centre that provides space for bicycles.

Compared to many new neighbourhoods in Berlin, the square in the new AM district has its own unique quality thanks to its shape, opening, façade design and planting. As a small highlight, there is a mirrored cylinder in the centre that provides space for bicycles.

For many after the fall of the Wall, the great symbol of artistic freedom in an inspiring place in Berlin: the Tacheles, an open building originally occupied in the 1990s and then self-managed by the art scene in a prominent location on Oranienburger Strasse with a wasteland behind it that stretches all the way to Friedrichstrasse. The partially ruined remains of the Friedrichstadtpassage with its huge archway, which was saved from planned demolition by the artists, quickly developed into a Berlin tourist magnet. At the end of the 1990s, the building lost its appeal to the art scene and the derelict site became increasingly desirable. The state of Berlin finally sold the entire site to the Fundus Group in 2002 on the condition that it could only be vacated after ten years. When the time came, the Tacheles was completely empty.

In 2014, the ownership changed hands and the project developer pwr development took over the project. Herzog & de Meuron were commissioned to develop a masterplan for the redesign and revitalisation of the entire site, which was based on an initial masterplan from 2003 with significant changes. Even the visualisations of the city block with the new passageway, which follows the old route, made the clear overall concept around it clear. The architects from Basel initially wanted to fill the block completely and then ‘cut out a sequence of differently proportioned squares, courtyards and paths’.

The main building with the passage adjacent to the old building on Oranienburger Strasse was realised by Herzog & de Meuron. It was given the name ‘Scape’. Its striking grid façades, which bend backwards from the 5th floor upwards, are characterised by the same vertical, slightly tapering bands of broken grey clay tiles, which were delivered and installed as large prefabricated elements. Three bridges, planted with ivy and wild vines, connect both sides of the passage at a lofty height. The passage was not roofed over. Retail space is located on the ground floor and basement, with offices on the upper floors.

The old building of the Friedrichstadtpassage, which has retained some of its patina as a centre of the independent art scene following renovation and conversion, is now home to restaurants and a branch of the Swedish Fotografiska museum on three floors. The interior was designed by Werner Aisslinger. Berlin's hottest new bar is currently located under the pyramid roof of the archway, designed by Herzog & de Meuron.  

In the centre of the newly created Aaron-Bernstein-Platz stands a mirrored , which initially catches the eye but then makes its presence felt among the trees and - like Norman Foster's mirrored roof at the Old Port of Marseille - arouses curiosity. The round building is a Bikesafe, a fully automatic bicycle station of particular elegance. It offers space for 96 bicycles, which are stored securely and weatherproof under the square. The transfer area with the entrance gate on the square is operated by chip or QR code. After opening, the front wheel is placed on a rail and the bike is pulled into the gate. The gate closes again automatically and the parking process is completed after approx. 20 seconds. The new ‘Am Tacheles’ neighbourhood has another small highlight in the form of the glittering sunlight.

 

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS:

  • WÖHR Bikesafe 885
  • 96 bicycle parking spaces
  • 6 levels
  • Handlebar widths up to max. 76 cm
  • Bicycle length up to max. 2 m
  • Bicycle weight up to max. 30 kg
  • Operation via booking platform or RFID chip