JUNI PARK
Junipark is part of the Wohnwut campaign conducted by Schlesische27, a youth, art and culturehouse. The campaign finds its roots in a peer-to-peer survey concerning housing circumstances for youngsters in Berlin. This resulted in a publication being the main principle of the whole campaign. Junipark is a month-long festival that aims to translate these survey results, Berlins problemacy with affordable housing for youngsters, into a manifest by organising a space for discussions, workshops, peformances and projects. At the end of the festival, these activities lead to the wohngut charta in which the young participants formulate their concerns, ideas and proposals to Berlin politics.
The Junipark was located on a former cemetery next to Tempelhofer Feld in Neukölln. In this rough and neglected context, we created a place using basic architectural elements like court, tower, perron and a big window that we represent with minimal means. For example by using white scaffolding nets in the courtyard to emphasize and distinguish this place from the rest, transforming it into the core of the structure.This was completed with a tribune and a window to the outside providing a stage. Functioning as a landmark and attraction point providing easy acces, the arenas tower gives visitors another viewpoint to Tempelhofer Feld, the surrounding houses and the former airport light signals.
To host these diverse activities, we worked with scaffolding elements for the rudimentary construction since they provide a maximum flexibility and allow the venue to become a foundation for a constantly changing content while also visualizing the campaigns program.The basic structure serves as a framework and has a high participative character by demanding a use and completion.
Different projects move in the construction each creating space and giving the structure different characters. Except from performances and panel discussions, the program involves the surrounding neighborhood of the park. Neighbors are invited to cook and eat in the court and several workshops are organized making the Junipark also a temporary meeting place that can be used to make an analysis concerning the operation of this place as a catalyst for creating, strengthening a neighboorhood. The temporary character of the festival questions whether this will enable the neighborhood to self-initiate something and if it will have a prolonged effect.
