The “Berlin Entertainment District” on a former industrial estate constitutes a new, luminous entertainment hotspot in the eastern city centre.

The development of the area with two new buildings in axial alignment to the Mercedes-Benz Arena creates an urban square, which in its extension leads to the Spree river. Our concept aims to divide the existing plot into two areas: the Main and the Local Plazas. While the rectangular Main Plaza, located in the centre of the Entertainment District, creates a vivid, variable event area, the southern and square-shaped Local Plaza serves as a forecourt and an urban recreational area. This functional contrast is also reflected in the specific design of both sites. Thus, the extensive play fountain on the Main Plaza with its rectangular, large-format granite slabs faces the finely paved area of the Local Plaza. Here, pre-cultivated plane trees and long stretching double benches, which we specifically developed for this location, support the calmness of the square and reduce the scale of the imposing, monumental architecture.

Nevertheless, the main challenge of this project was to create an identity against the artificial character of the site. Through the use of local materials, such as granite used in a specific laying pattern, we succeeded in making this place recognisable and experienceable as an authentic part of Berlin’s public urban space.