Tbilisi architecture biennial
From Socialist Heritage Towards a New Concept of Commons
05.11.20
The project Haus der Statistik serves as a prototype for a cooperative planning process with the goal to establish a new neighborhood as a common good for everyone.
Haus der Statistik is located adjacent to Berlin's Alexanderplatz, one of the centers of today's Berlin and the former representative heart of East Berlin. At Alexanderplatz, the notion of commons has changed multiple times, influenced by major transformations: from collective organization during socialism, to individualization and fragmentation in the neoliberal era after the German reunification (resulting in an agglomeration of malls, hotels and luxury apartments), to the not yet completed search for a new concept of commons.
Haus der Statistik represents a counter-model to market-driven urban development. The project is characterized by civil engagement, a firm political will, a careful handling of post-war architectural heritage, and a collectively developed vision for a city for all.
