Counter Narrative

In November 2024, we came together in direct opposition to the Tempelhofer Feld Idea Competition, a procedure designed to weaken the Tempelhofer-Feld-Gesetz by disguising construction as participation.

Faced with a process that invited architects and citizens to legitimise development on a legally protected field, we chose a different strategy: we entered the competition to refuse it. 

We transformed a space intended for design proposals into a space for democratic debate.

We developed and distributed a competition-compliant starter kit, which enabled architects to submit legally valid projects that said only one thing: no construction. Each submission was a formal, professional rejection, defending the law as Berliners voted for it in the 2014 referendum.

Of the 164 submissions received by the Senate, 72 explicitly rejected construction. What began as an attempt to normalise development was forced to acknowledge resistance. Four to six awarded projects ultimately stood against building in the field.

The procedure culminates in the final exhibition in September 2025, where “no construction” is publicly displayed in direct contradiction to the Senate’s original imperative to develop Tempelhofer Feld. Through this collective refusal, architects compelled the Senate to speak a “no” on behalf of the public, reasserting democratic authority against private development interests and reclaiming architecture as a political act.

Winner Statements

As the four winners of the Tempelhofer Feld Idea Competition who did not propose construction on the field, we issue this joint statement with the aim of preventing the privatisation of the Feld. 

The THF-Law, democratically enacted through the 2014 referendum, currently protects the field from permanent construction. The recommendations emerging from the ongoing Dialogwerkstatt workshops have also been clear: a clear rejection from the public of any construction on the Feld. 

Our plans are in accordance with the THF-Law and deliberately do not propose any new construction. Our concern is that an amendment to the law, justified by a potential enhancement to open spaces, might serve as a basis for introducing permanent development through the back door. Our designs must not be used as a pretext to change the law and push through development on the field.

Some Place Studio
FWD Landscape Architecture
raumlabor
Franz Reschke Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH
bbz landschaftsarchitekten