(Re)Mind the Wall

Abstract

(Re)Mind the Wall is an architectural critique on the current function/position of the East-side Gallery in Berlin, Germany. What once paid tribute to the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 has now eroded itself into a manicured and appropriated tourist hotspot in the city. While the colourful murals from international artists remain intact, their representation of freedom and unity has now been lost to the mass-gentrification of the Friedrichshain neighbourhood. The historical remnants of the Berlin Wall act as a backdrop for selfies, where visitors are oriented towards the hyper-commercialised Mercedes-Benz Platz, as a ploy to lure the people into spending more money. However, the “backside” of the Wall, a nearly 300m long public park remains barricaded and invisible to the public eye.
The project seeks to re-claim one of the few remnants of greenspace left along the Spree canal and renew it into an accessible, affordable, and liberated public space. The design was inspired by the “everchanging, colourful, and fluid” character of the city, drawing from the local’s needs and desires. It reflects on the past; the Berlin Wall, the Fall, and the words left behind by the artists of the city. It draws from the existing remains found around the area, scrap materials that are repaired and brought back to life. The architecture promotes unity and the connection of people through a series of social interventions all interconnected by a public bridge that quite literally climbs over the Wall itself…