Marktplatz / Parkplatz
KAiAK - Art und Architektur

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The competition took place in the context of a larger project for the neglected Berlin district of Alt-Köpenick. The historic centre of the district is shaped by medieval buildings but also, at the time, exhibited a number of unused gap sites. When Alt-Köpenick was designated as a redevelopment area, temporary interventions set the framework for the long-term objective. For this purpose, the KAiAk program was launched which sought to evoke the necessary creative impulses.

 

Our proposal concerned an undefined space which so far had been used as an informal parking lot, due to the permanent lack of parking options. The idea was to create one public square with two functions on the same spot by implementing a multifunctional design. We suggested to turn the lot into an official parking space and to connect the same space with the second function of a market place.

 

The square needed defining by a powerful colour and an eye-catching object to communicate its respective temporary function. The asphalt ground was painted in a bright red; purple lines and white numbers were applied to mark the individual parking spots and structure the space with a pattern, also useful for the market booths. A giant red parasol indicated when the place could be used as a parking lot (closed parasol) or it was market day (open parasol).

In addition, an old-timer caravan with a red finish was installed to serve as a ticket booth. The dual functionality finally signalled flexibility which is an intrinsically urban mode. The fading of the pavements colours fits in this mode, as the space and its uses will change as the neighbourhood will develop.

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