For the Viktoriaspeicher site on the Kreuzberg bank of the Spree, the urban design by the planning teams Behles & Jochimsen Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH and Weidinger Landschaftsarchitekten was selected as the winning entry. The decision was made on 30 June by a jury chaired by architect and urban planner Anne Luise Müller. A total of five submissions were evaluated for the decision-making process. The site, located between the Spree embankment, Schillingbrücke and Köpenicker Straße, is currently used by the state-owned BEHALA as a storage area and is to be transformed into a new urban quarter.
The award-winning design envisages the realisation of a good 1,000 homes, 50 per cent of which are to be permanently price-controlled. A key element of the plan is an extensive climate park along the Spree, which will provide public access to the water as an open green and recreational space. The jury particularly praised the clear urban structure of the design, the balanced relationship between the proposed uses and building volumes, and the comprehensive open space concept.
Urban Partnership and Planning Progress
The development of this urban quarter is being driven by the state-owned BEHALA together with WBM Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Berlin-Mitte mbH. Both companies prepared and coordinated the preceding workshop process in cooperation with the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing. With the decision on the winning design, the detailed planning phase now begins. This will be followed by the development plan procedure, as well as the remediation and development of the site. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2030.
In addition to residential areas, spaces for local amenities, culture, social facilities, crafts, and production are also planned to ensure a balanced quarter mix. Christian Gaebler, Senator for Urban Development, Building and Housing, stated that the development of the Viktoriaspeicher site had made significant progress with this design. He highlighted that homes for approximately 2,000 people would be created at this inner-city location, and the quarter would be supplemented by commercial areas and other uses.
Overcoming Planning Hurdles
The development of the site was legally restricted until the end of 2025 due to the presence of a hazardous industrial facility in the vicinity. However, these restrictions could be lifted after BEHALA reached an agreement with the company concerned and the accident-prone production process was ceased. This created the conditions for urban development. Petra Cardinal, Managing Director of BEHALA, emphasised that BEHALA consciously decided to develop the site with a state-owned housing association to address Berlin's interests, despite years of interest from private investors. Steffen Helbig, Managing Director of WBM, added that the selected design demonstrates the potential of the Viktoriaspeicher site to combine new housing with commercial uses and make the Spree embankment accessible to the people of Berlin.
- —Approximately 1,000 homes, 50% of which are permanently price-controlled.
- —Development by state-owned BEHALA and WBM.
- —Creation of a climate park on the Spree embankment.
- —Construction scheduled to begin from 2030.
