RAW site Preliminary study for the future use of open spaces

A new urban quarter is to be built on the former site of the Reichsbahn repair works or "RAW" in Berlin-Friedrichshain.



The location is known throughout the city primarily for its socio-cultural uses and the sports, leisure and club scene. However, large areas of the site have been lying unused for a long time.

The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office initiated a public dialog process in cooperation with all stakeholders involved to create an urban development master plan. hochC was commissioned by the district office to conduct an open space study and represent the citizens' initiatives in the process.



In the study, the open space was conceived as an independent area. This was the only way to properly understand its structure. Aspects such as spatial sequences, connecting paths, sunlight exposure and quality of stay were analyzed. A particular focus was placed on the gradation of public, semi-public and private space.



The result of the open space study is, on the one hand, general information on open space design to increase the quality of stay and, on the other hand, specific suggestions for changes to the urban design and the traffic concept.



Parallel to the open space study, hochC provided planning support to the citizens' initiatives on the RAW site. Their ideas were collected, formulated and structured in workshops with hochC. The opinions of the initiatives were presented graphically and comprehensibly as a basis for discussion with other stakeholders on the RAW site.