Since 2001, the Spreepark Berlin in the east of the city has stood abandoned behind high fences. The former amusement park is now to wake up from its beauty sleep. The framework concept for the conversion has already been finalized.
The originally fearsome dinosaurs are now just lying tiredly on the ground. Mario Wilpert
Here we went to the former Las Vegas village. Manuel Frauendorf
The dragon's mouth of the Spreeblitz family roller coaster. © Manuel Frauendorf
Spreepark Berlin
Even non-Berliners know the Spreepark: in the 2010 film of the same name, Hanna sprinted through the abandoned park to save herself from her pursuers. The park also served as a backdrop for the Berlin crime scene: Inspector Rubin found a projectile in one of the dinosaur figures.
The Spreepark amusement park in Berlin opened in 1969 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the GDR. After a short break during the fall of the Berlin Wall, the amusement park reopened under the name Spreepark three years later. It survived only briefly, closing in 2001 due to insolvency. Since then, the park has stood empty, plants have reclaimed the site and the brittle charm attracts adventurous explorers of ruins who sneak past the security staff.
In dialog
The state-owned Grün Berlin GmbH – which is responsible for numerous green spaces in the city – took the reins in 2016. Since 2016, it has been bringing together stakeholders, artists and interested citizens in a dialog process to develop a new concept. During the discussions, it became clear that the existing site should be renovated and the charm of the abandoned location should be preserved.
Wake-up call
Last week, Christoph Schmidt, head of Grün Berlin GmbH, presented the new utilization concept for the park: It will transform the Spreepark into an art and culture park offering studio space for artists. The aim is to create a new creative space in the city where creative people – who are increasingly being displaced by gentrification in the city center – can produce and live. The run-down rides will not be forgotten: A refurbishment will breathe new life into the dormant dinosaurs, the Ferris wheel and the tracks of the roller coasters.
Waterways
The transformation of the abandoned park is not an isolated plan, but also relates to the urban fabric: The plan revives the city’s waterways as transportation routes. Grün GmbH is planning to connect the Spreepark with the city center via a boat link.
Grün Berlin GmbH and the planning team led by Latz + Partner will present a final utilization concept by May 2018. It remains exciting to see whether the capital will have a creative biotope where artists can pursue their creativity without worry. And who knows, maybe one day we will see Wim Wenders portraying the artists’ park in the movies.