How can the Tempelhofer Feld be expanded?
Tempelhofer Feld
De Zwarte Hond is one of the winners of the design competition for Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin; from 164 international submissions, the jury selected six winners. The open competition seeked creative, sustainable designs that build on previous dialogue workshops and addresses the diverse interests of Berlin’s population. The Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin is one of the largest inner-city open spaces in Europe. A central leisure, sport and recreation area for Berliners, it is also a historically significant site. Its location and accessibility offer great potential for housing, social infrastructure and new shared-use facilities. The design follows a ‘give and take’ strategy, with the further development of the edges of the field. Seven independent sub-areas will be created, with the focus on integrating residential, educational and social functions. A central element of this approach is the Flächenrochade (space exchange): existing amenities will be relocated elsewhere to make way for new facilities. For example, allotments will be moved to the Tempelhofer Feld’s southern edge to create a residential area complete with daycare centres, schools and green public spaces. The airport terminal, a listed monument, will be used as a cultural and social centre for education and crafts. The new horticultural centre in the south will become a hub for climate-friendly businesses and green urban development. The Tempelhofer Feld is expanding not through densification, but through new connections and stronger functional utilization. This creates an urban building block that utilizes the potential of Tempelhofer Feld while retaining its open character.
data
- Location
- Berlin, DE
- Size
- ca. 300 ha
- Client
- Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung, Bauen und Wohnen Berlin
- Discipline
- Urban Design
- Program
- Housing, Public Buildings, Urbanization Strategy
- Period
- 2025
- Status
- Competition
- Partners
- Grieger Harzer Dvorak Landschaftsarchitekten
Relaxing at the Tempelhofer Feld
Future of Tempelhofer Feld
Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin is one of the largest urban open spaces in Europe. For residents, it is a central place for recreation, sports, and relaxation, as well as a site of historical significance. Due to its location and accessibility, the area holds great potential for housing, social infrastructure, and new forms of communal use. This leads to a wide range of expectations from the urban community. The multitude of expectations placed on the field make it appear smaller than it is. What is needed are spatial and functional solutions that preserve the field’s openness while creating a stronger connection with the city.
Everyone wants a piece of Tempelhofer Feld
The Tempelhofer Feld gives and takes
New connections with the city change the perception of the Tempelhofer Feld
The field changes the city, and the city changes the field
The Tempelhofer Feld expands!
Tug of war
The Tempelhofer Feld is undergoing further development around its edges, taking into account the needs of neighbouring districts. The urban development strategy aims to achieve a balanced give-and-take, comparable to a tug of war, to ‘enlarge’ the field for the benefit of the urban community.
Seven independent sub-areas are being created, offering education, housing, social infrastructure and community spaces. The airport building will also be opened up and made accessible. New crossings, paths and squares will create connections between the city and the field.
The large open space in the centre will remain intact — undivided, legible within the landscape and accessible. The Tempelhofer Feld is expanding around its edges too, not through densification, but through new access points, shared uses and functional connections. Whatever is taken away, is given back elsewhere.
Implementation Strategy
The seven sub-areas can be developed independently of each other. They are clearly defined spatially and related to one another in terms of programme. The principle of Flächenrochade plays a central role. Existing uses are deliberately relocated to create space for new facilities.
The allotment gardens will be moved to the southern edge of the field, where they will retain their size and character – while simultaneously creating space for a new mixed-use residential area comprising daycare centres, a school, and green public spaces. A new S-Bahn station will provide access to the southern part of the field. Other sub-areas have their own specific focus: education, production or public use.
This scheme creates a clear framework that allows for diverse developments and will gradually and sustainably link the field to the city, creating a growing field.
The entrance to the Tempelhofer Feld, with direct connections to the Tempelhof S-Bahn and U-Bahn station
New crossings connect the field and the city
New spaces for existing functions: the sports boulevard
A new school on the edge of the field
The listed airport terminal is opened up
A place for urban crafts and education
The green fields of the Tempelhofer Feld are kept intact
