Case Study: Potsdamer Platz, Berlin

Transcription

1 Case Study: Potsdamer Platz, Berlin Potsdamer Platz is one of the most well-known squares in Berlin and is a main tourist attraction. Nevertheless, it has never fit the typical typology of a square. The area has suffered many transformations starting in the early 1700 s. After being a tailback area in front of Potsdam Gate, the Octogon square (since 1814 Leipziger Platz ) was laid down following the westward expansion of Friedrichstadt. First a recreational area, it gradually turned into a millionaires' quarter during the first half of the 19th century. During this period, new roads were built, the plots on them were parcelled and built on with villas and grand apartment buildings with broad, well-cared gardens. In 1831, the former Potsdamer Chausee was renamed Potsdamer Strasse which developed from 1861 onwards into a shopping street. In 1838, the railway station Potsdamer Bahnhof was opened south of Potsdamer Platz and linked to it by a forecourt. Hotels followed the new station and the area became a tourist attraction. By 1908, thirty-five horse-drawn tram routes crossed the square, which together with pedestrian and other vehicles created traffic turmoil. There were no major urban changes during the first years of the Nazi Party s power, but the area buildings were used by party and state offices, including the People s Court. Speer s plans to transform Berlin in Germania would have had a major impact on the area, numerous houses had been demolished beforehand to obtain the required building site when all construction work was halted in The area suffered destruction during the end of WWII. After the war, Soviet, British and American sectors all converged in the area, so for the time being active life was re-established. In 1961, the Berlin Wall was built, and many buildings were demolished to clear a security zone. In the western part, many plots were public because of the plan to create the government sector of a unified Germany. Nevertheless the plans were abandoned in The modern Potsdamer Platz Following plans already set before the fall of the Wall, in 1990 and 1991 the Daimler-Benz and Sony corporations both signed property deals with the city. The price paid was quite low in comparison with other central parts of the city so the deal was widely criticized. After many proposals and discussion, a modified version of the proposal from the Munich-based architect office Hilmer and Sattler was adopted. Based on this urban development concept several competitions took place. Significant parts of the whole area were owned by Daimler-Chrysler and Sony, which finally commissioned the team of Renzo Piano and Christopf Kohlbecker the first and Helmut Jahn the second to develop their ideas. The ABB corporation holding the area East of the former railway station site opted for a less spectacular approach, entrusting the execution of the individual buildings to Diener & Diener, J. Sawade and Peter Schweger. In 1995 were held the competitions for the design of two green areas, one on the west part of Lenné Dreieck and the other on the site of the former Potsdamer railway station, the Tillia-Durieux 49

2 Park. Water Management in the Daimler complex, Potsdamer Platz The description of the area, as well as its historical origins should have been a lot more extensive, being a complex inner-city area built from almost tabula rasa with the participation of many Starquitects, Potsdamer Platz has many facets to explore. When walking in the area many things attract the attention of the visitor, but the most powerful is the large lake surrounding the Daimler-Chrysler buildings. It is almost as if the lake was always there, although it is a completely artificial water body. The whole concept was design by Herbert Dreisetl, in association with Renzo Piano and Christooh Kohlbecker and the assistance of Roger Woodward. The stormwater management and water utilization was an essential part of the overall concept plan since the beginning of the planning. The vast urban body of water has an approximate area of 1.2Ha and a capacity of m³, and was created to perform two important ecological functions: Stormwater retention and micro-climatic effects. The shoreline of the waters is 1.5 kilometres long The Daimler-Chrysler complex at Potsdamer Platz, is a heavily sealed area of sqm: 19 buildings, 10 roads and the Marlene-Dietrich-Platz. According to the calculations, the expected amount of rain water in this area is cubic meters annually (with an annual rainfall of 530mm). The city allowed a maximum storm water runoff of 3.2 l/sec/ha. Water management in this area consists of several measures: Extensive green roofs, collection of roof drainage into cisterns to use this water for toilet flushing and garden irrigation an artificial water system. The whole concept consists of three basins, the south basin, the main basin and the north basin. Water is circulated through cleansing biotopes (1670m²) in all three basins. Rainwater is collected from the rooftops after being cleansed by roof gardens and stored in cisterns with a capacity of 2600m³. During intense rainfall, water can be pumped from the cisterns into the three water basins; in even more intense storms, excess runoff can be diverted and gradually released into the Landwehr Canal. In all three basins, water is circulated through reed-planted embankments, receiving its first biochemical and physical cleaning. Depending on the turpitude, the outflow of water can be routed to mechanical filters, these devices are activated as needed, usually during seasonal increase in algae growth. Part of the toilet flush is pumped from the collected rainwater in cisterns, the average use is of 50

3 9300m3 / a (16800m3 / a). For safety reasons, to meet the demand potable water can be provided for flushing. 750m3 / a (1.114m3 / d) of water is used for watering the garden on the site. Meeting the demands of an urban artificial body of water and abandon the use of chemical additives requires a very high technical, and energy-intensive effort, which is reflected on the maintenance costs. The pollution of substances such as leaves, dog droppings, and especially by the care users have of the space (food for ducks and fish, food and packaging), is not only an aesthetic problem, but can also cause serious damage to the components. The positive impact on climate is not negligible in terms of justification of such a large project, just as little as the water savings, which amounts to up to m3 / a, contributes to conservation of resources. It is a measure against the strong sealing of the area, against the overloading of sewers and the chemical discharge into the Landwehr canal. It is an attractive design element, an artpiece without comparison in size in Berlin's urban space. The lowest point is at the Piazza at the Marlene-Dietrich-Platz, on which the water comes from three directions, streaming through grades. Bridges and stair elements make the water liveable, a place of rest, and children playground. (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Überlingen, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 51

4 Stepping slabs across shallow water. (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Überlingen, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 52

5 Water stream with reed-planted embankment. Runoff water from impervious areas is first caught through storm drain inlets. (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Überlingen, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 53

6 Intensive roof garden. The soil used on the extensive roof greening had to be organic and nutrient free to avoid algae growth in the lake. (Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 54

7 Water recirculation at Reichpietschufer. (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Überlingen, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) Garden and lake below Daimler AG building. (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Überlingen, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 55

8 Entrance to the tunnel under Tierpark (B96), part of the lake is over it. (Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) Piano Lake, view to Debis-Haus (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Überlingen, Photo: Damian Perez 2009) 56

9 Leaves in the water: Solids can cause damage to the system and must be removed. (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Überlingen, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 57

10 Storm drainage detail, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Landscape Architect Dreiseitl (Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) Tillia-Durieux Park, porous sidewalk, Berlin (Photo: Damian Perez) 58

11 Bahn Tower, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin (Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 59

12 Overview of the lake at Daimler quarter. (Model in Arkaden) (Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) Sony Center, view from the Berlin Kultur Forum. (Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 60

13 Stylized storm water drainage inlets. Sony Center, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin. (Landscape Architect Peter Waker, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 61

14 Sony Center, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin (Landscape Architect Peter Waker, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 62

15 Galileo sculpture (Mark di Suvero), Potsdamer Platz, Berlin. (Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) 63

16 People's use of the water, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin (Landscape Architect Dreiseitl, Photo: Damian Perez, 2009) Sources: Dreiseitl, Herbert and Grau, Dieter (Eds. 2006): Wasserlandschaften. Planen, Bauen und Gestalten, Birkhäuser- Verlag für Architektur, Basel, Berlin, Boston (available in English) Roehr, Daniel (2002):Extensive Roof Greening at DaimlerChrysler Project Potsdamer PlatzA Landscape Architecture Mission, European Landscape Architecture Practice 2000 Ein Stück Großstadt als Experiment. Planungen am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin Hatje Verlag Der Potsdamer Platz, Urbane Architektur für das neue Berlin, jovis Verlagsbüro, 2000 ISBN:

17 Links History of the Leipziger Platz and Potsdamer Platz, masterplan and pictures (German) Information about the Daimler District, Potsdamer Platz Atelier Dreisetl 65