In constant change – design studio “Into the Wild”

Climbing up from the native mixed deciduous forest at the foot of the mountain to the Mediterranean hard-leaf zone at the top – all in Berlin. With her design, Svenja Jarrath wants to bring climate change to life for visitors to Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg. The project was developed as part of the “Into the Wild” design studio at TU Berlin. In the following, Svenja Jarrath presents her work herself.

It’s not just in our September 2023 issue that we make space for student projects. Students also present their own work on our website – for example in this article. You can find all the projects on our “Studies” topic page and the September issue is available in our store.

The design “In Constant Change” by Svenja Jarrath was conceived under the “Climatize” scenario – one of three scenarios specified by the design studio “Into the Wild” for the design process. The IPCC report (2019) predicts the development of our cool-temperate climate zone towards a warm-temperate climate zone by 2075. Based on the IPCC report, a concept was developed to preserve the forest stand and its valuable cooling function. The associated forest conversion in order to adapt the vegetation stock to the consequences of climate change within the next 30 years forms the basis of the design.

The climate change described is both a challenge and an opportunity. It is brought to life for visitors to the park through its staging: the native mixed deciduous forest at the foot of the mountain changes towards the top of the mountain to the hard-leaf zone of the Mediterranean region.

On entering the park, users are guided through the well-known native mixed deciduous forest. This is characterized by the past and is adapted to the increasing drought and heat through natural regeneration measures: Only the best-adapted seeds of the existing trees develop into new trees.

The higher the mountains are climbed, the more their vegetation changes: the native trees are joined by more and more non-native trees. The new circular trail on the middle level marks the present and thus the irreversibility of change. Information boards along the edges of the path point out the new species and show the progress of forest conversion.

The final section of the ascent is along a circular path that winds around the summit. Here, the vegetation of today’s Mediterranean region (year 2023) now thrives on lean, stony limestone and sandstone gravel grassland. In 2075, the new diversity of vegetation can be marveled at with shrubs such as Olea europaea, Citrus sinensis, Punica granatum and Myrtus communis.

The design was created as part of the “Into the Wild” design studio at the TU Berlin. You can read more about the background to the studio and Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg here, and discover more designs by students here.