The aim of this project is to improve the public transport exchange of Warschauer Strasse station and to establish continuity between the different urban fabrics fractured because of the railway and the difference of level. In this way, we will provide the area with urbanity, new uses and real neighbourhood life. The area is located on Berlin media Spree between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, on the surroundings of Warschauer Strasse station, where S Bahn, U Bahn and tramway converge.

We profit the potentiality of this neuralgic communication centre and organised the project on two perpendicular axes at different levels as a strategy to solve the existing discontinuity.

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We landed on our site after a previous research which was part of the process too. This research consisted of an exercise of relocating three iconic-real or projected- elements of Berlin: Alexanderplatz competition by Mies, Hansaviertel and Olympia Stadion. By doing this exercice we figured the scale of the area, and some urban conditions emerged, that helped us to establish our strategy. We created a pedestrian path between three elements and at the same time they were part of a main road network: “from Alexanderplatz to Olympia Stadion passing through Hansaviertel”. Then we realized that Warschauer (were our Alexanderplatz was located) had special conditions of project interest.
We understood Warschauer area as a neuralgic communication centre due to a converge of public transport and it link with the main road network that we had defined on the previous research. However, at the same time we detected an important fracture between urban fabrics because of a horizontal discontinuity due to the rails and a vertical discontinuity due to the difference of street levels. Approaching the scale to this opportunity site we noticed that the exchange between S Bahn and U Bahn was done with difficulties, not in a fluent or natural way.

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So, our project knits two districts, two fabrics, two separate towns currently separated by a fracture involving railways. We create a new topography to solve this fracture physically. In the social level we solve the fracture by including new uses: residential, commercial and facilities to give security and urbanity to the pedestrian which helps us to knit both urban fabrics by extending flows. 

These flows are extended with a strategy: enhancing two axes, two transit stations, and generating a new point interchange point. An easier and comfortable change, covered, always protected from the weather. With better accessibility to both stations, open spaces and public buildings surrounding the new interchange station. It seeks to generate a fusion of fabrics through the new interchange station, a new core of centrality, an operation that transforms the place into a focal point of the city, the centre of reference of Media Spree. 

Always preserving the existent as a priority, strengthening things that are already working or have an interest and urban density. For example, the Lidl warehouse was taken as a clear restructuration warehouse adding a new use of facility to extend pedestrian flows. We took advantage of the bridge and difference from current level and new topography to move the existing Mercedes Arena parking inside our new topography. Special care is taken with the differences in level, treating them with ramps, stairs, and communication core of public buildings in order to guarantee the pedestrian connection always both vertical and horizontal.