Inflection 04: Permanence. Elizabeth Diller

by © Frank Hülsbömer

      As a building Spreefeld is a political statement advocating for a socially conscious organisation of housing, where private and public are spatially intertwined. This resulted in deliberate decisions to democratise access to a technically private piece of prime Berlin real estate. Berliners out for a stroll can still reach the bank of the River Spree at any time through Spreefeld’s site. Anyone can apply to use the Optionsräume (optional spaces) on the ground floor regardless of whether they live at Spreefeld or not. These spaces can be used temporarily as exhibition rooms, auditoriums or for workshops, so long as they contribute to the cooperative with programmatic input that is not principally profit-oriented. Living at Spreefeld carries the requisite of participation in the cooperative which governs the apartments and shared spaces. Residents are expected to invest their time, opinions and expertise rather than capital. As a result, rents at Spreefeld are kept at the same level as public housing for those with low incomes, offering a level of security and permanence difficult to find in the conventional rental market.

      A more radical approach has been employed by the Mietshäuser Syndikat (apartment-house syndicate), which has been active in Berlin since 2003. The syndicate is a cooperative and non-commercial holding company for the joint purchasing of blocks of rental flats to extract them from the real estate market and provide long-term affordable housing. The syndicate has its origins in the political left as well as the cooperative housing and squatter scenes, and attempts to realistically implement approaches to the socially responsible and ecologically minded handling of money and land. Mietshäuser Syndikat supports and advises projects in financial and legal matters, yet contributes no capital of its own. To date, it has assisted in the acquisition process of 125 apartment buildings (17 of which are in Berlin) equating to approximately 22,500 square meters of living space for 600 people. Adhering to the dominant economic order, this model of activism uses a combination of collective action and capital to liberate capital.

      In 2010, raumlabor realised PenthouseBerlin, a project in cooperation with artist Christian von Borries which explored yet another path to alternative housing. After being forced to switch studios several times due to a lease termination and multiple increases in rent, von Borries resolved to invest his money in real estate, but in such a way as to question current notions of housing by constructing it himself.

      Aside from the limited budget, finding a suitable space was another considerable challenge. Not only did the space need to fulfil the necessary legal stipulations of building codes, it also had to be available for long-term lease. Von Borries found a rooftop site which was beyond any use to a developer, and whose owner was open to the idea of his experiment. The brief to raumlabor was for an architectural framework that guaranteed maximum flexibility in order for the artist to implement his own visions. In addition, the client wanted to construct as much of the studio as possible himself, which greatly determined choice of materials and the level of detailing. In the end, raumlabor employed an off-the-shelf greenhouse system that proved highly flexible in tackling the challenging conditions of the site.¹⁵ Re-framing the luxury status of the penthouse, PenthouseBerlin is an inventive example of individual living and working space achieved with modest financial means, utilising space outside the developer’s purview.

      ExRotaprint is a work location promoting cooperation and exchange where commercial enterprises, social institutions and creatives operate their business. It is a private non-profit founded in 2007 with the goal of reinvigorating the site of a former printing press manufacturer, Rotaprint, a state-owned property located in the Berlin’s Wedding. Negotiations with state and district governments lasted three years before the property was effectively purchased through a leasehold agreement. ExRotaprint strives to be an active participant in the ongoing development of its urban district in flux, yet (contrary to classic studio buildings) it does so by embracing a mixed-use philosophy comprising manual crafts, studios and social institutions at various levels. ExRotaprint is an urban interface. The goal of creating a long-term location for heterogeneous use is supported by a project space rented out to individual users when necessary. Furthermore, a public cafeteria attracts many customers not necessarily affiliated with ExRotaprint, and has become a popular venue for locals. In place of the traditional workplace monoculture, ExRotaprint offers a macro-social environment: ‘it is a reality initiated by artists and created from the viewpoint of art. A realm of possibility has emerged here, one that is non-profit, non-ideological and marked by solidarity, yet contingent upon agreements and consensus. ExRotaprint forsakes the prospect of profits through ownership in favour of stability and participation whilst balancing a heterogeneous array of interests. The profit of the project lies in its durability and its spheres of interaction.’¹⁶

      ExRotaprint.

      Photograph © Martin Eberle

      In contrast, the initiators of Aufbau Haus sought a private backer to finance their project.¹⁷ Another state-owned property, Aufbau Haus also occupies the site of a former printing factory. The aim was to transform it into a hub to house a theatre, gallery, design college and other creative yet commercial ventures. Once an investor was found, a long negotiation process unfolded between the project initiators, the district of Kreuzberg and the federal state of Berlin, the current owner of the property. Negotiations were concluded in 2008 with the establishment of the Moritzplatz Development Group. Furthermore, with the district mayor expressing his support for the project, the state of Berlin agreed to the sale through a direct procurement procedure. One stipulation for approving the sale, was the agreement the use of the property by creative industries for a minimum of ten years. Whilst not the most obvious or colourful example of bottom-up urban activation, the merit of this project was its success in securing the property not with the highest bid, but through concept and vision; an approach which would become a precedent in Berlin. Moreover, they used the political connections gained in the process to support and enable their direct neighbour, Prinzessinnengärten.

      Alternatively, the leaders of the initiative to secure der Haus der Statistik (House of Statistics) for creative public use opted for an entirely different process. A building complex on Berlin’s most well known square Alexanderplatz, der Haus der Statistik consists of five buildings with a total gross floor area of 40,000 square metres which has been abandoned since 2008. As part of an art action in autumn 2015, a giant poster was affixed to the façade of one of the disused buildings announcing the emergence of spaces for art, culture, education and social projects.