The award-winning Floating University has taken up residence at the former stormwater retention basin of Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport. An archaic-looking stilt structure with futuristic light bodies, it is a place where urgent urban planning issues are re-examined.
Two things should be noted about the Floating University: it is neither a university nor is it “floating.” The former, because it is not an official, state-recognized institution and was therefore prohibited from using the title “university” in an official capacity. The latter, because the pond on which it is built is sometimes completely dry. This body of water was originally designed in the early 1930s as a drainage basin for Tempelhof Airport to prevent flooding. A concrete basin that remained largely unnoticed by the public for nearly a century. Over time, however, reeds and shrubs have reclaimed the contaminated reservoir, transforming it into a renatured ecosystem.
A Radical, Playful Concept
After Berliners voted in a referendum against the redevelopment of the decommissioned airport site, Tempelhof was transformed into a park—one of Europe’s largest public spaces. During its evaluation, the former stormwater basin was rediscovered. The Berlin-based architectural collective Raumlabor together with other actors, developed a radical and playful Raumexperiment, here, one that defies conventional typologies.
The Floating University is an inner-city offshore laboratory for visions of urban practice. An experiment in collective learning and networking.
— Raumlabor Berlin, Architecture Collective
Part nature observation station, part open-air school. Part art space, part sundowner bar with a beach vibe. The vision of the Architekten and the Floating e.V. initiative reads as follows: “An inner-city offshore laboratory for visions of urban practice. An experiment in collective learning and networking. A test setup to challenge urban routines.”
Before winter, the Floating University is dismantled and rebuilt in a new form every spring.
The idea was to create a low-threshold space open to all. Unlike recognized universities, which require admission and tuition fees, these barriers were deliberately broken down.
Seasonal Wooden Structures
In practical terms, the Floating University consists of a seasonal arrangement of open wooden structures with inflatable roofs. In its first edition in 2018, it featured learning spaces and workshops, an auditorium, and a lab tower with a DIY water filtration system. Developed through a collaborative building process involving various European universities, the site also serves as a testing ground for new teaching methods.
The Floating University changes its form and appearance from season to season. Each winter, the temporary structures are dismantled, only to re-emerge in the spring in a new configuration. Depending on the thematic focus and available budget, the concept is adapted accordingly.
Participation and Collective Responsibility
The project made it to the shortlist of the Mies van der Rohe-Awards 2024. Among the highlighted features was its nature-based filtration system, an integral part of the built structure. “Instead of channeling rainwater unfiltered into the Spree, as has been done for over a century, it can now be reused for irrigating local parks and cemeteries affected by drought,” states the shortlist description of the prestigious European architecture prize.
Instead of channeling rainwater unfiltered into the Spree, as has been done for over a century, it can now be reused.
— Shortlist Mies van der Rohe Award 2024
Already in 2021, the project received a special honor when the jury of the Architecture Biennale awarded it the Golden Lion for Best Contribution. The jury praised its “inspiring, collaborative design approach that fosters participation, renewal, and collective responsibility.”g weckt“.
Science Fiction at the Pond
The Floating University represents a form of regenerative architecture that follows the cycles of nature. Instead of turning the airport pond into a conventional garden paradise, its creators chose not to embellish it. At times, the pond mirrors the surrounding landscape in a picturesque manner; at other times, it becomes a stark mud pit, laying bare the effects of climate change.
The Genius Loci—the spirit of the place—is an inherent part of this temporary ensemble. The permeability and lightness of its structures ensure a seamless transition between architecture and nature. Even though it is not a floating structure, the term “Floating” in its name is ultimately justified. The scaffolding-like constructions resemble ancient stilt houses, evoking an archaic aesthetic.
At the same time, the inflatable roofs and bodies, which glow like luminous orbs at night, appear like spaceships from a distant future. Here, the past meets the future. This once-overlooked site has been transformed by architecture into a platform where pressing urban planning issues are renegotiated. And in doing so, it evokes memories of the future.
Text: Gertraud Gerst
Fotos: Viktoria Tamaschko, Daniel Seiffert / Raumlabor Berlin
