Metropolpark
Nestled in the heart of Berlin’s Mitte district, Metropolpark is a historic architectural gem originally built as an administrative building for AOK Berlin. Its 1016 m² courtyard is poised to become a vibrant urban retreat, preserving cultural heritage while fostering a dynamic space for relaxation, play and cultural exchange.
Building upon this potential, the design extends the greenery, shaping a realm of rediscovery and exploration—an oasis that draws residents and visitors into a hidden world where dark-hued mosaic pavers meet lush vegetation, evoking infinite depth.
Objectives:
- Preserve and enhance architectural heritage
- Increase usability and quality of stay
- Strengthen residential community
- Improve ecological conditions
- Maximize rainwater retention and infiltrate water
Climate-adapted perennials and shrubs, chosen for their extended flowering periods, enhance the project’s resilience and sustainability, ensuring the garden flourishes as a lively retreat for both people and wildlife.
Materials are selected with ecological performance and durability in mind: recycled pavers, concrete elements, and permeable joints reduce waste, minimize resource consumption and form a robust, adaptable foundation for the project.
Team — Janka Paulovics
Client — Atriensis Immobilienverwaltung GmbH
Area — 1.900 m2
Year — 2024, Berlin, Germany
Status — Ongoing
Femina
Palast
In Berlin-Schöneberg, the legendary Femina-Tanzpalast courtyard — once among the city's most vibrant addresses during the Golden Twenties — is being revitalized as a resilient urban oasis that enhances biodiversity and fosters community engagement.
The concept is a holistic green vision to create an attractive green environment that is climatically adaptive and provides a diverse programme with open spaces in a metropolitan context that cannot offer traditional green spaces.
The landscape integrates various ecotypes, shaped by the area's topography, sunlight, and vegetation, creating a harmonious blend of nature and urban functionality.
Clear wayfinding and thoughtfully crafted design details enhance the usability of the outdoor facilities, ensuring an intuitive and pleasant experience as the landscape seamlessly evolves from the softly curved architecture. The path system merges with the building’s form, enabling playful yet clear navigation through the landscape.
The shady slope
Der Schattenhang
A lush, sunken entrance garden.
Along the main link, a green, shady slope forms the connection to the lower-lying office areas.
Der Schattenhang
A lush, sunken entrance garden.
Along the main link, a green, shady slope forms the connection to the lower-lying office areas.
The Blue Stage
Die Blau Bühne
Central, sunken multi-purpose space in a semi-private zone for events and outdoor meetings. Between naturalistic planting a central element, a water square transforms into a blue backdrop and play element in the rainy seasons.
Die Blau Bühne
Central, sunken multi-purpose space in a semi-private zone for events and outdoor meetings. Between naturalistic planting a central element, a water square transforms into a blue backdrop and play element in the rainy seasons.
The sunny slope
Der Sonnenhang
The sunlit, stepped amphitheatre landscape offers a lush entrance area, a place to meet and relax.
Der Sonnenhang
The sunlit, stepped amphitheatre landscape offers a lush entrance area, a place to meet and relax.
Circular rainwater recycling reduces reliance on groundwater and freshwater sources. Rainwater is used and retained on site as a valuable reserve.
New water elements present the collected rainwater and offer new garden functions.
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New water elements present the collected rainwater and offer new garden functions.
Team — Henning Larsen Architects
Client — Signa Real Estate Management Germany GmbH
Area — 2440 m2
Year — 2024, Berlin, Germany
Status — Interrupted
pockets of pollinators
A relaxed space which truly celebrates plants and encourages wildlife to thrive. The balcony design aims to demonstrate that small spaces can be practical, productive and enchanting.
Large potted schrubs provide a sense of enclosure, whilst a continuous green edge is planted with pollinator-friendly flowers and climbers.
The planting strategy incorporates many pollinator friendly plants such Spiraea japonica 'Double Play Red', Salvia nemerosa ‘Ostfriesland’, and Echinacea purpurea.
The new backdrop of Parthenocissus henryana lends a further sense of verdancy to the space.
Hardscape materials were selected to complement the existing aged red walls and technical details.
A simple corten steel structure provides a frame for the climbers and allows multiple objects to be hung—such as hammocks, lanterns or sports equipment.
A simple corten steel structure provides a frame for the climbers and allows multiple objects to be hung—such as hammocks, lanterns or sports equipment.
Team — Janka Paulovics
Client — Privat
Area — 14 m2
Year — 2023, Berlin, Germany
Status — Completed
Holzmarkt —
promenade of play
A vibrant riverside destination with colorful outdoor installations, combining nature, community and play.
Holzmarkt is a lively, creative district nestled along the banks of the Spree River in Berlin's Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain.
Embracing the motto 'Spreeufer for all', the project aims to revitalize the riverside by providing seamless public access along the green bank and neighboring areas. The adjacent nature and recreation trail will be extended and enhanced with play areas and experimental installations, introducing an exciting element to the casual atmosphere and creating a new park typology.
Square wooden facades paired with wild, romantic gardens set the backdrop for a new play world.
Along the central promenade, smaller playscapes feature oversized wooden blocks, climbing walls, gently curved landscapes, colorful details, and playful geometric patterns.
Larger play areas include a topographical playscape with a climbing-sliding hill, a wooden tree house and a small event-lounge hut along the riverbank.
Team — as part of ManMadeLand in collaboration with Office ParkScheerbarth
Client — Holzmarkt25, Gästehaus am Holzmarkt GmbH
Area — 10.000 m2
Year — 2023, Berlin, Germany
Status — completed
seed by seed
Beneath the canopy of a former pine tree, a once barren patch of land has been reimagined as a climate-resilient wildflower field, seeded and shaped by nature itself.
At the heart of the garden are gently curving wildflower beds, where native species and hardy perennials intertwine to form a soft, meadow-like landscape.
Selected for their resilience, these plants are well-adapted to Velence’s demanding climate—where winters can drop to -10°C, summers rise above +35°C, and the soil, a mix of mining rubble and clay, presents further challenges. To endure such extremes, the planting palette balances drought tolerance with cold hardiness, ensuring survival through both harsh frosts and periods of waterlogging.
This garden is a long-term, evolving project. The first wildflower beds were established in spring 2024, with new seeds introduced gradually to encourage spontaneous growth and the natural development of local wildlife. Over time, the landscape will continue to adapt, forming a self-sustaining ecosystem shaped by the rhythms of nature.
Team — Janka Paulovics
Client — Private
Area — 850 m2
Year — 2023, Velence, Hungary
Status — Ongoing