Competition-based architecture and urban planning workshop

The objective is to transform the former Pankow railway switchyard, which was decommissioned back in 1997, into a vibrant urban quarter and residential neighborhood. The site sits between the main center of Pankow to the northwest and the so-called Kissingerviertel to the south.

The new Pankower Tor complex adopts the contours of the urban context, becoming intertwined with adjacent residential neighborhoods. The brief is to create a lively area of offices, residences and recreational activities with a strong identity and a range of equitable, diverse and inclusive spaces. Running through the entire neighborhood at an angle, the “Parc Diagonale” is open to the public and designed to highlight the new neighborhood’s role as a place of cohesion and connection, while also enhancing the quality of the open spaces as a whole. Two new underpasses below the train tracks provide an additional link to the surrounding neighborhoods.
The six to seven-story apartment buildings form so-called “residential families” with private landscaped interior courtyards that are linked through the shared public plazas. This generates a distinct rhythm in the urban fabric spanning the full length of the complex between the two transit hubs where the public amenities are concentrated. Communal parking lots at the intersections leading to the surrounding neighborhoods intercept the private motor vehicle traffic and allow the neighborhood to remain car-free. These and other planning specifications are part of the eco-friendly master plan that is the basis for the competition. This also includes easily accessible commercial units for local amenities and cultural facilities such as a municipal library and a municipal gallery offering art workshops as well as schools and sports venues in the public park. 

The overall eco-friendly approach to this urban planning project also applies to the construction methods. In terms of the residential buildings, everything from classic brick buildings to novel timber-hybrid construction is feasible. The color concept provides a separate palette for every “residential family”, giving them each a distinct identity and a sense of place.