Jean Odirichukwu
Tempelhofer Feld Green Veil
The Green Veil addresses Berlin’s housing crisis while respecting the cultural, historical, and ecological value of Tempelhofer Feld. The project proposes a small, carefully placed residential development at the northeast edge of the site. A dense, multi-layered vegetative buffer — the "veil" — screens the new housing, preserving the open character that makes Tempelhofer Feld unique. The project strikes a balance between urban growth and landscape preservation, offering a model for sustainable city development.
Research shows that Berlin aims to deliver 194,000 new housing units by 2030 (Senate Department for Urban Development, 2023). The Green Veil provides 480 units, contributing approximately 0.25% toward this goal.
Tempelhofer Feld holds deep social and symbolic meaning for Berliners. Public feedback during the 2014 referendum emphasised the importance of keeping the site as a free, open, and democratic space. The project protects these qualities by using strategic landscape design rather than large-scale architecture.
The planting scheme is based on native species, promoting biodiversity in an urban setting. Species like Festuca ovina, Carex flacca, Leucanthemum vulgare, and Achillea millefolium were selected for their ecological resilience and ability to support pollinators and birdlife. Seasonal performance is key: deciduous trees provide strong visual screening in spring, summer, and early fall when park use is highest. In winter, when visitor numbers drop, the vegetation naturally opens, allowing more sunlight into the residential areas while maintaining a soft visual boundary.
Each residential building is three storeys high, with 20 apartments per floor (60 apartments total). Each building floor provides 2,050 m² of total area, with 1,650m sq dedicated to apartments. Each unit averages 82m sq, which is larger than the current average Berlin apartment (~70m sq) (Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik, 2022). This addresses longstanding concerns about shrinking living spaces and improving living quality.
The vegetative buffer was designed with an inner-to-outer transition. Inner layers prioritise dense screening, ensuring privacy for residents and preserving long views across the park. Outer layers near Tempelhofer Feld’s paths and fields focus on seasonal aesthetics, with blooming wildflowers and ornamental grasses that enhance the visitor experience. This planting structure improves habitat connectivity across Berlin’s green infrastructure network and strengthens local biodiversity.
Residents are encouraged to use Tempelhofer Feld rather than staying inside courtyards, which were intentionally designed to be minimalistic and unobtrusive. Clear pedestrian and cycling routes link the new residential areas seamlessly with the broader open space. Materials and building scales were carefully selected to avoid overwhelming the landscape, referencing the site’s military and aviation history subtly without dominating the visual experience. The Green Veil offers a realistic, sensitive approach to urban expansion. It respects the spirit of Tempelhofer Feld, supports biodiversity, and contributes to solving Berlin’s housing challenges — showing that growth and preservation can exist side by side.