Gebaute Zukunft heute: Autobahnüberbauung Schlangenbader Straße und Carl-Legien-Siedlung

Built future today: Schlangenbader Strasse autobahn superstructure and Carl Legien housing estate
Curated in collaboration with Sally Below, Franziska Eidner and Heike Oevermann.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Berlin has been the scene of surprising and outstanding architectural production, exemplary for developments throughout Germany and beyond. We were interested in their interaction with the city and society – yesterday and today.

This evening focused on two exemplary housing concepts – the Carl-Legien-Siedlung, completed in 1930, and the autobahn overbuilding on Schlangenbader Straße from 1980, the so-called „Schlange“. In the course of their history, both complexes have received special attention from very different sides, for example through awards with the Renault Traffic Design Award or as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

These residential complexes should be an occasion to once again become aware of the topic of „living in the city“ beyond building groups and townhouses. We hope to find a new perspective on „old acquaintances“ and to initiate a discussion about the connections between city, housing and society.

The kick-off was provided by two film statements made by students of the ETH Zurich in an „Experimental Film Week Berlin“ under the direction of Dr. Doris Agotai and Marcel Bächtiger.

This was followed by a discussion:

Dr. Eva-Maria Barkhofen / Academy of Arts Berlin
Arno Brandlhuber / Architect
Christian Huttenloher / Secretary General of the German Association for Housing, Urban Development and Regional Planning
Manfred Kühne / Head of Department for Urban Development and Projects at the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development

Moderation: Olaf Bartels / architecture critic

Host:
Embassy of Switzerland Berlin