School Hub Werneuchener Wiese, Berlin

Werneuchener Wiese is a green area on the northern side of Volkspark Friedrichshain. Until 1945, the area was part of a densely populated residential neighbourhood. The area was destroyed in the final days of the war, later cleared and has not been built on again since. Now, as part of the urgently needed refurbishment of several nearby secondary schools, the green space has been partially developed as the site for a so-called ‘school hub’. The temporary school on Margarete-Sommer-Straße will be used by the secondary schools in need of refurbishment as alternative accommodation during the construction work. This will enable the swift refurbishment of the neighbouring school sites. At the same time, the existing school community in the Werneuchener Wiese school hub can continue to operate without being affected by construction activities.

The district of Pankow in Berlin commissioned the planning and realisation of the new school building for 800 pupils with a 3-court sports hall. In collaboration with the architectural firm PBC-Architekten, collective Kaufmann Bausysteme developed a system-adapted design for buildings in modular timber construction. The school construction project was completed in autumn 2023.

Open space

The Werneuchener Wiese school hub presents itself to the neighbouring urban space with a continuous ‘green frame’. A coherent lawn and meadow framework integrates the buildings into the park context. Robust, site-adapted trees, flowering shrubs and ornamental fruit bushes are complemented by a permanently flowering mixed planting of perennials. In addition, the open space concept for the school yard and the sports areas provides for an open design that connects the buildings with each other through a spacious walkway and access to form a campus. The schoolyard is divided into different, clearly defined zones.

The sandstone-coloured tones of the paved areas create a friendly, inviting overall appearance. Sports and play areas are set apart by their coloured surfaces. In addition to the multi-purpose sports field, the school yard has table tennis tables, a row of trampolines and a spacious area for games. The wooden benches and bench-table combinations are suitable for quiet breaks. They visually match the wooden façade of the sports hall and contrast harmoniously with the striking aluminium façade of the school building.