Park am Gleisdreieck (Atelier LOIDL) was also debated as one of the most effortlessly beautiful and comfortable projects. Placed four meters above the city level, Gleisdreieck is an urban oasis and a vital link between neighbourhoods, featuring smart interventions, such as a(?) placing programme under the bridge, revealing layers from the site’s past uses and exposing the contrast between soft park tissue and S-Bahn trains buzzing over the main meadow on the elevated rail-yards. One jury member commented: “It’s so Berlin!”
- from the award statements
In the heart of Kreuzberg, Berlin’s new, big inner-city park was opening in summer 2014: The “Park am Gleisdreieck”, a former triangular junction. The first half of an altogether 26 hectares area spanning in the Western part of Berlin was already opened in September 2011 („Gleisdreieck – Eastpark“). Named after the turn-of-the-20th-century viaducts of the overhead railway, which form a triangle here, since 1945 the Gleisdreieck has been waste land. Before, the area of the Anhalter and Potsdamer railway yards had been an enclave of the German state railway “Reichsbahn” for decades.
photos by Julien Lanoo
With the Park am Gleisdreieck a modern urban location has been created focusing on the basic essentials of landscape architecture. Without any decoration, a location is formed, which keeps it as simple as possible but uses fine details, sensual materials and vegetation, which together unfold a strong, poetical effect. The contrast between „grown“ nature and artificially built elements, vegetative elements has been purposely put in scene. Poetical landscapes unify to one big beautiful scenery. As a „green break“ in the city, the Park am Gleisdreieck stands at the same time for contemplative and stimulative experience of free space, targeting at a refined, sensual perception of the city.
The impressive expanse and the other-worldliness of the plateau-like grounds, which lie four meters above city level as well as the relicts of the former railway junction, make the park unique in Berlin. By means of an exceptionally large-scale and clear configuration many poetical types of scenery are created, together forming one big landscape: the freedom of the meadows, the backdrops of trees, the forest, the nursery, the large terraces, the small woods, the sport tracks, and the central plaza.
Robust and long-living materials are essential criteria for a successful landscape architectonic concept and the later use of a park. With four 80 meters long bench sculptures on the terraces and the luminaires, crossing the park as differently folded masts, an own large sculpture is formed, which characterizes the entire site.
Ideally, the Park am Gleisdreieck shows how Berlin really is: multi-cultural, sophisticated without showing off, modern, flexible, fun-loving, and above all sensual. Finally, the park builds a bridge between the old quarters and the life at the Potsdamer Platz.
Entrant office name: Atelier LOIDL GmbH
Role of the entrant in the project: Landscape Architecture
Website: www.atelier-loidl.de
Project location: Berlin, Germany
Year Built:
01.09.2011 Ostpark (completion)
31.05.2013 Westpark (completion)
01.04.2014 Flaschenhals (completion)
