Vogelfreiheit

The initiators of Vogelfreiheit refer to it as "1000 Plateaus" or "Multifunctional Granite Sculpture". It is intended to be a lively meeting place that invites people to linger and is attractive to different user groups.

The bird sanctuary was implemented as part of the concept "Experience-oriented playground", prize winner (2nd place) of the online dialogue 2007. The initiative "Save the Granite" was started in view of the demolition of the Palace of the Republic in 2005 and was able to secure several hundred square meters of noble granite pavement. Since then, it has endeavored to find an inner-city location for a granite landscape usable by skateboarders. Ideas and wishes were worked out with children and young people in various participation workshops.

In 2010, at the suggestion of the then Senator for Urban Development Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, the two projects merged, and subsequently, with the support of Tempelhof Projekt GmbH, it became a reality, initially under the sponsorship of Freivogelheit GmbH. In the "Participative Construction Site", interested students from all over Berlin co-created the site according to their needs during the fall vacations in 2012. Since mid-2013, Grün Berlin GmbH has been the operator.

Vogelfreiheit consists of an abstract skate facility that is unique in the world and offers diverse areas for other activities. The central design goal of architect John Lang and skateboard photographer / project initiator Adam Sello was the creation of urban authenticity through strict conceptual limitation in design and choice of materials. They deliberately did not try to build a perfect skate facility, but an aesthetic place with quality of stay and space for creativity. Even after almost ten years, Vogelfreiheit, which combines historical references, contemporary youth culture and the reuse of building materials, remains an internationally pioneering example of young people's participation in the design of public space. If you ever stop by there around sunset, you can experience the vibrancy of the place. It's nice to see what's possible in Berlin!