Uberbau, in collaboration with MARS (Architecture) and Treibhaus / Lavaland (Landscape), won one of eight equal prizes in the open international ideas competition for the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (Berlin’s new central library and its adjoining city quarter). The new center will be located at the edge of the projected city park on the Tempelhof airfield and forms part of a larger urban regeneration scheme for the district, including a new quarter around the central library with a central city square.
The urban design reinterprets the Berlin block, creating a permeable, non-directional public network of small public spaces. These spaces are organized through a mix of building types, focusing on flexible typologies that cater to various uses and users. The library itself serves as a landmark, contrasting with the monumental openness of the airfield. By concentrating the building mass into a compact cube, the design frees up space for a public square that can accommodate various temporary and community uses, such as community gardens.
The design of the new central library achieves a highly efficient program, capable of fulfilling long-term logistical and practical demands.
For more information:
