Atelier Gardens, TON 1: MVRDV’s project in Berlin changes the face of Tempelhof

A ‘forge’ for social and regenerative entrepreneurship, where innovative solutions can be tested to address the compelling challenges of our time, from ecology to technological development and the circular economy: this is how Atelier Gardens is conceived, a project to reconvert the historic Berliner Union Film Ateliers (BUFA) film studios complex in the Tempelhof Field area. The Dutch studio MVRDV approach in designing the masterplan has aimed to respect not only the original architectural features but also the “pioneering” and multidisciplinary spirit that permeated the place.

In the area of approximately 23,800 square metres, where the five studio blocks and ancillary structures are distributed, flexible spaces for work, training and events are now located. Here, between the preserved exposed masonry walls and the large green areas created in the open spaces, the intention to channel enthusiasm for sustainable change is witnessed by the presence on the site of different professional figures: from small farms to companies operating in the fields of technology, urban agriculture and alternative business.

The inauguration of TON 1 marks an important step in the transformation process that will be completed over the next few years: a space that hosts concerts, conferences, exhibitions, workshops and film screenings for up to 1,000 people, located inside a 100-year-old building whose original structure MVRDV has left unaltered, without sacrificing maximum flexibility nonetheless. A complex system of curtains on tracks, with different functions – from acoustic protection to visual screening – allows for a varied subdivision of the space which, thanks to the study of light and bright colours, is characterised by a cheerful and radiant aura.

In the design, particular attention is paid to environmental sustainability: large paved areas have been removed to make room for surfaces permeable to the flow of rainwater, which is collected and recycled, while hanging gardens and green plazas encourage an increase in biodiversity.

The project aims to  provide space for the ‘pioneers of change’ and to implement, starting from the memory of the past, a process of tangible social transformation and ecological transition.