Articles in

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Final Review

    Teaching

    Tiergarten is an artifact grown out of all the histories of Berlin: floodplain of the glacial valley, wetland, royal hunting game, forest with carved Baroque rooms, landscape park, stage for nazi parades, battlefield of II World War, firewood and farming land in post-war state of emergency, replanted and reconstructed in the 1950s. Fenced in by a Kurfürst at first for his private pleasure, later unfenced for public enjoyment, and perhaps fenced again in the future for protection and control of the masses of the Festmeile ever increasing public events.

    It reconciles many worlds at once: A model prototype for a city where life is thriving, rich in species, evoking the unusual ethics and esthetics of Sublime, Horrific and Rococo decay. Tiergarten is inclusive, beautiful and messy, interpretable in use and generous in sharing. Tiergarten is an oracle of future that might be, will ever be, might never be. A promise of lichens and moss in the midst of burnt hydrocarbons.

    This Teaching-Research-Studio, continuing the analytic and cartographic work of the Summer Semester 2013 Seminar, mapped historical and current layers of human, animal, mineral and floral nature in Tiergarten.

    (fig: Büro für Konstruktivismus)

    Students SS 2014

    • Dario Attico
    • Huan Binquan
    • Isa Fahrenholz
    • Thilo Gra˚mann
    • Dorothee Hahn
    • Sebastian Henschke
    • Dong Jia
    • Joke Leon Klein
    • Kathrin Krell
    • David Leinen
    • Björn Lotter
    • Sören Mackel
    • Debora Mendler
    • Stephanie Nick
    • Camilla Parrella
    • Ruiqi Shan
    • Mei Zhang

    The experts of the excursions in 2013 and 2014

    • Derk Ehlert, Wildtierreferent des Landes Berlin
    • Jürgen Götte, Tiergarten-Inspektorenleiter Bezirksamt Mitte
    • Angela von Lührte, Biologin mit Schwerpunkt Waldökologie
    • Maria-Sofie Rohner, Landschaftsplanerin mit Schwerpunkt Botanik und Naturschutz
    • Christoph Schaaf, ex Tiergarten-Inspektorenleiter, NABU Referent
    • Jens Scharon, NABU Referent für Artenschutz Berlin
    • Steppengarten Arbeitskreis: PhD Dr. Gabriele Holst, Landschaftsarchitektin and Steffi Kiebacks, Landschaftsarchitektin
    • Jan Uhlig, Fachbereichsleiter Pfaueninsel

    Guest Critics

    • Arno Brandlhuber, brandlhuber+
    • Martin Conrads, Institut für Transmediale Gestaltung UDK, desperatecapital
    • Silvan Linden, Büro für Konstruktivismus
    • Franziska Morlok, Institut für Transmediale Gestaltung UDK, Rimini Berlin

    Final Review

    10.30

    A815

    Projects Exhibition Opening

    17.30

    A815

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Excursion on Pfaueninsel (Island of Peacocks)

    Teaching

    At the end of the 18th century an island of 88 hectares in the Havel was renamed by Friedrich Wilhelm II into Pfaueninsel, the Island of Peacocks, introducing several of the birds in this place as a living symbol of sensual passion. Friedrich, with a penchant for mysticism, and his lover Wilhelmine von Lichtenau built here a small palace with rooms ornate in exotic style and a ruinous looking dairy of neo-gothic taste for their personal pleasure.  P. J. Lenné and K. F. Schinkel following the wish of the successor Friedrich Wilhelm III and Luise von Mecklenburg transformed the island into a model farm for the quiet retreats of the monarchs and increased the exotic nature of the place with an intricate menagerie of foreign plants and animals strolling free, like in a safari.

    The island is still today of immense importance for its spectacular landscape and rich and diverse flora and fauna. Dry meadows, rare mosses and ferns as well as uncommon trees characterize this area. Nearly immortal, centuries-old oaks are present here in different stages of decay and transformation. Heritage and ecological intentions are merged aesthetically in this cultural artifact, shown in the re-introduction of water buffaloes, in the extensive meadows and the beautiful way to manage decaying wood and coarse woody habitats.

    Jan Uhlig, director of Pfaueninsel, will lead this excursion.

    (fig: Ancient oak tree on the Pfaueninsel, Sandra Bartoli)

    10.00

    Ferry station / Anlegestelle ‘Pfaueninsel’
    (Route: S-Bahnhof Wannsee + Bus 218)

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Excursion in Tiergarten with Jürgen Götte – Tiergarten Management Plan

    Teaching

    Jürgen Götte is a horticulture engineer and head of the management of Tiergarten for the past 24 years. After his apprenticeship and studies, he worked in Tiergarten until he became the head manager in 1990. Jürgen Götte and a team of 100 gardeners are responsible for the entire district of Tiergarten. The Baroque reconstruction of the Venusbassin and the new trails on the east side of Tiergarten resulted under Götte‘s supervision.

    (fig: Entlastungsstrasse im Tiergarten 2006, Büro für Konstruktivismus)

    10.00 - 11.30

    Grünflächenamt
    Strasse des 17. Juni 31

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Excursion in Tiergarten with Derk Ehlert – Wild Animals in Tiergarten

    Teaching

    Berlin is rich in nature. With more than 20.000 kind of animals and plants Berlin is one of the most rich cities in the world in terms of biodiversity, the only real currency of our otherwise bankrupt future. Many wild animals reside in the thick forest of Tiergarten, especially rare birds, howls, falcons, buzzard-eagles, and newcomers such as turtles, Canadian geese, Mandarine ducks, and many others.

    Derk Ehlert is the wild-animal speaker of the Land of Berlin, at the Department of Environmental Management and Development of the Berlin Senate. He is an ornithologist and studied urban and landscape planning. He also works for the landscape program of the Biotope Network of Berlin.

    (fig: Dry sand heathland and dunes in Teltow Fläming, Büro für Konstruktivismus)

    07.30 - 09.00

    S-Bhf Bellevue

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Excursion in Tiergarten with Angela von Lührte – The Virgin Forest in the Historical Park

    Teaching

    During World War II and especially in 1946 and 1947 many of the trees in Tiergarten were cut for firewood. Only 700 survived of the 200.000 original trees. The remaining trees stand out as impressive features of the forest and witnesses of a different time. They host a large number of animals, many of them endangered. With this expedition through the Tiergarten Dr. von Lührte will show a selection of these old trees, explaining their role in the history of Tiergarten and their vital ecological relevance.

    Dr. Angela von Lührte is biologist with a concentration on forest ecology, dendroecology and nature conservation planning. Dr. von Lührte a working member of the organizations “STADT”- Naturschutz and Wald BUND Berlin, and is one of the founders of AG Biotopholz.

    (fig: Pfaueninsel, Büro für Konstruktivismus)

    09.30 - 11.30

    Grosser Stern
    (South-eastern side of the Siegessäule)

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Excursion in Tiergarten with Maria-Sofie Rohner – Tiergarten Biotopes

    Teaching

    Dipl. Ing. Maria-Sofie Rohner is an environmental planner, with a concentration in botany and nature conservation. She is a specialist in the cartography of vegetation and biotopes and a board member of the Berlin and Brandenburg Botanical Association. In 2006 Rohner accomplished the cartographic and analytical documentation of all biotopes and flora and fauna habitats in Tiergarten (with an update in 2011), commissioned by the Federal Land of Berlin as a contribution in preparation of a new  management plan for Tiergarten which combines environmental conservation guidelines with heritage preservation.

    (fig: Einsteingarten, Büro für Konstruktivismus)

    09.30 - 11.30

    Henriette-Herz-Park

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Excursion in Tiergarten with Christoph Schaaf

    Teaching

    Christoph Schaaf is the former managing director of the Grünflächenamt (Parks and Gardens Department, Tiergarten), and as such he witnessed all the transformations of the Tiergarten since 1960. His initiatives are many conservation works in the park, managed with great consideration, historical and ecological knowledge of the place, and acuity in dealing with limited economic resources. He is an active member of NABU, lives in the middle of the forest, and currently surveys and documents the life of birds and other animals in Tiergarten.

    (fig: Tropical forest Khao Sok, Thailand, Büro für Konstruktivismus)

    Excursion (on bicycle!)

    11:00 - 13:00

    S-Bahn Tiergarten

    Tiergarten - This Obscure Object of Desire 2 [Studio]

    Aufgabe 0

    Teaching

    Tiergarten is an artifact grown out of all the histories of Berlin: floodplain of the glacial valley, wetland, royal hunting game, forest with carved Baroque rooms, landscape park, stage for nazi parades, battlefield of II World War, firewood and farming land in state of emergency, reconstructed in the Post-War years. Fenced in by a Kurfürst at first, later unfenced for the public, and perhaps fenced again in the future. It reconciles many worlds at once: A model prototype for a city where life is thriving, rich in species, evoking the unusual ethics and esthetics of Sublime, Horrific and Rococo decay. Tiergarten is inclusive, beautiful and messy, interpretable in use and generous in sharing. Tiergarten is an oracle of future that might be, will ever be, might never be. A promise of lichens and moss in the midst of burnt hydrocarbons. This Teaching-Research-Studio continues the analytic and cartographic work of the Seminar of the Summer Semester 2013, mapping historical and current layers of human, animal, mineral and floral nature in Tiergarten.

    Sandra Bartoli is responsible for the research-studio Tiergarten – This Obscure Object of Desire 2

    (fig: Büro für Konstruktivismus)

    Presentation

    14:00

    A815