Round about nature – “Into the Wild” design studio

Instead of humans, animals rule over Prenzlauer Berg in the “Round about Nature” design. The design by Marlene Werner – created as part of the “Into the Wild” design studio at TU Berlin – gives large parts of Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg back to nature. People become respectful observers, guests of Mother Nature on paths and footbridges.

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 “Round about nature” takes the wild animals of Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg as its main protagonists. The animals are given a protected space in the park where they can live undisturbed by humans. Almost all existing paths inside the park will be removed for this purpose. One will remain as the main access route.

The circular path will create two zones in the Volkspark – the animal zone within the comprehensive path and a kind of buffer zone outside the circular path. A dog exercise area and a playground are located in the buffer zone. Visitors to the Volkspark can move freely here.

In the animal zone, people are bound to predetermined paths that connect to three special areas: In the thicket – Between the grasses – On the hill. These three areas highlight the diverse areas of the park with their different characters. In the “thicket” of the forest, for example, you walk along narrow paths close to dense bushes and tall trees. At various points, there are stations where you can perceive the animals and plants with different senses.

In the meadow area of the Volkspark, you are on a slightly elevated footbridge “among the grasses”. With the help of the footbridge, you can walk through the middle of the meadow without stepping directly onto it and experience this special habitat.

In addition to the large wooded area and the meadow, the topography is a characteristic feature of the park. In this design, one of two existing mountain peaks is left accessible to visitors. “On the mountain”, the feeling of height is further enhanced by a viewing tower. From there you have a view over the park as well as a visual axis to the city center of Berlin.

These three places give people the opportunity to experience the park and come into contact with nature on site without destroying it. Unwanted access to the “wild” areas is prevented by spatial boundaries. Natural materials such as wood, natural stone and Benjes hedges will be used to create a clear separation.

The circular path is edged with a concrete strip, which occasionally forms into seating areas. This edging is only planned on one side, on the side of the animal zone. A boundary to the buffer zone is not planned. This is intended to make it subtly clear to visitors which areas of the park are freely accessible and which are not.

The design focuses on specific target species as examples. The planning is intended to provide them with a safe habitat that meets all the vital needs of the respective species. The Volkspark should thus become a park for animals and people, in which all users are equally considered and taken into account.

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.