Assignment 02 - Individual Design
Wagondorf Lohmuhle

The Wagondorf Lohmuhle is a unique caravan village located in east Berlin. The village is composed of various mobile homes and small cabins and features art works, small gardens, and various community spaces. In order to better integrate the somewhat private caravan village with the leisure routes adjacent to it, the design focused on two areas where the walking/running path meets the border of the village. In this design, the program for this space involves modular units based off the dimensions of a basic caravan that would become artist studios, gallery spaces, and potentially sheltered gathering spaces or visitors quarters. The modular units are different from a traditional caravan in that two sides of each are transparent in order to form gateways into the caravan village. In this system, infinite arrangements are possible, mimicking the organic development of the caravan village, or perhaps supplementing it with a more regular arrangement.

Assignment 01 - Historical Research

Berliner Castle / Stadtschloss / Berlin City Palace
The building was once a medieval fortress, turned into a renaissance palace and then expanded in 1698 with the work of Andreas Schluter, transformed into a large Baroque palace that dominated Berlin’s city center. Following World War II, the GDR government tore the building down and later built the Palace of the Republic on the site. This modern building was torn down in 1993, after the fall of the wall, and the site is currently a large empty lot. A debate sprang up over rebuilding the historical site, with a large group supporting the reconstruction of the historical monument. The Palace is now to be rebuilt by Italian architect Francesco Stella who won a competition with his design that combines modern and contemporary use with the specifications issued by the German Parliament for the reconstruction of the Baroque façade. Reconstruction is slated to start in 2010 and reach completion in 2013 or 2014.

Berliner Dom
The standing Berliner Dom is a grand domed basilica in the Baroque style, but dates only from 1905. The site has been occupied by some cathedral structure since 1465, undergoing extreme transformations at various points, notably a neoclassical renovation my Schinkel. The existing cathedral was designed by Julius Raschdorf and is much larger than any of the previous buildings.

Museumsinsel / Museum Island
As the name implies, the Museumsinsel occupies the north end of this island in the Spree with a concentration of museums. Each museum was constructed independently and houses different collections. These museums are undergoing transformation by British architect David Chipperfield whose plan allows that the five unique buildings on the site with be connected and fused into a grand museum promenade. The project is due for completion in 2012.

Summary
The buildings on this site have undergone radical transformations throughout the years, as evidence of a theme in Berlin to tear down and rebuild. As a centrally located area, and one that was under GDR control, there is currently a tremendous amount of interest in rejuvenating the site with both Chipperfield’s revamping of the Museum compound and Stella’s reconstruction of the historical Palace.

Assignment 02 - Individual Design
Wagondorf Lohmuhle

The Wagondorf Lohmuhle is a unique caravan village located in east Berlin. The village is composed of various mobile homes and small cabins and features art works, small gardens, and various community spaces. In order to better integrate the somewhat private caravan village with the leisure routes adjacent to it, the design focused on two areas where the walking/running path meets the border of the village. In this design, the program for this space involves modular units based off the dimensions of a basic caravan that would become artist studios, gallery spaces, and potentially sheltered gathering spaces or visitors quarters. The modular units are different from a traditional caravan in that two sides of each are transparent in order to form gateways into the caravan village. In this system, infinite arrangements are possible, mimicking the organic development of the caravan village, or perhaps supplementing it with a more regular arrangement.

Assignment 01 - Historical Research

Berliner Castle / Stadtschloss / Berlin City Palace
The building was once a medieval fortress, turned into a renaissance palace and then expanded in 1698 with the work of Andreas Schluter, transformed into a large Baroque palace that dominated Berlin’s city center. Following World War II, the GDR government tore the building down and later built the Palace of the Republic on the site. This modern building was torn down in 1993, after the fall of the wall, and the site is currently a large empty lot. A debate sprang up over rebuilding the historical site, with a large group supporting the reconstruction of the historical monument. The Palace is now to be rebuilt by Italian architect Francesco Stella who won a competition with his design that combines modern and contemporary use with the specifications issued by the German Parliament for the reconstruction of the Baroque façade. Reconstruction is slated to start in 2010 and reach completion in 2013 or 2014.

Berliner Dom
The standing Berliner Dom is a grand domed basilica in the Baroque style, but dates only from 1905. The site has been occupied by some cathedral structure since 1465, undergoing extreme transformations at various points, notably a neoclassical renovation my Schinkel. The existing cathedral was designed by Julius Raschdorf and is much larger than any of the previous buildings.

Museumsinsel / Museum Island
As the name implies, the Museumsinsel occupies the north end of this island in the Spree with a concentration of museums. Each museum was constructed independently and houses different collections. These museums are undergoing transformation by British architect David Chipperfield whose plan allows that the five unique buildings on the site with be connected and fused into a grand museum promenade. The project is due for completion in 2012.

Summary
The buildings on this site have undergone radical transformations throughout the years, as evidence of a theme in Berlin to tear down and rebuild. As a centrally located area, and one that was under GDR control, there is currently a tremendous amount of interest in rejuvenating the site with both Chipperfield’s revamping of the Museum compound and Stella’s reconstruction of the historical Palace.