House of statistics on the Alexanderplatz: A revolutionary cell

The house of the statistics draws between the balance sheet and all are thrilled. The pioneer should remain a user, you get here a quarter of a different kind.

House of statistics on the Alexanderplatz: A revolutionary cell

The house of the statistics draws between the balance sheet and all are thrilled. The pioneer should remain a user, you get here a quarter of a different kind.

A place like a Herbert Grönemeyer Song: the house of statistics on the Alexanderplatz photo: Stefan Boness/lpon

BERLIN taz | The first thought: Here you are, the last Madman of Berlin. The second thought: Should it be possible these people actually, in the house of the statistics settle down and at the Moment it looks that way, then there may be at Alexanderplatz in fact, the last revolutionary cell ' of the city.

Outdoors at the Alex, this desert of Shopping Malls, expensive Apartments, and grey offices, is funky November. But in the workshop of the house in the statistics, in the former bike shop, shoot so many ideas back and forth, that it will be really chubby. Since may of this year, in the shell, the parallel for renovation and new construction is being prepared, the so-called pioneer uses wide-made – Creative, no money to get their organization but by the Land of Berlin is supported.

On this Thursday morning some of what they have done and want to create. They collect plastic and will give him more; they create climate-neutral works of art in the public space, the use, rents and can be rented. They offer Workshops where you can make the balls yourself, with whom you can learn and then juggle.

Anton Schünemann from the art lab Schlesische 27 reported with red cheeks from the house of materialization, which is to be created for the new year, a kind of Zero-Waste centre. He has to undress utopias tried with young people, who no longer can afford that home – a tube hotel. Karin Ehrle Host has difficulties, all the great players list, participate in your project life center, an open place, to the regional, high-quality food grown, produced, stored, and consumed are processed.

A building complex in with an area of 46,000 square meters of floor space, is the house of the statistics, directly on the Karl-Marx-Allee and Otto-Braun-Straße to the Alexanderplatz. At the end of the Sixties it is used by the State Central office of statistics of the GDR, after the reunification of the Federal German authorities. In 2008, it is pulled empty, 2010, it shall be replaced by a new building.

2015 the Alliance of threatened Berlin-based Studio houses a Transparent with the inscription "spaces for art, culture and social Affairs arise for Berlin" at the house. In the same year, the Initiative, house of statistics proposes to use the Area as a centre for Refugees, social Affairs, art and Creative, the district Parliament agrees. In 2017, the state of Berlin to buy the the house of the Federal Republic of Germany and want to develop the Initiative.

February 2019 is an urban win urban design that provides for in the refurbished house, the statistics and several new buildings, a new town hall for the district centre, a tax office, but also Sahabet several hundred apartments and spaces for social and cultural projects. In may 2019, the pioneer start uses. (sm)

Together all these players form a colourful Patchwork of ideas, in which there is, on the Whole, therefore, to take advantage of this city is different than anywhere else: to build A public, non-commercial laboratory in Berlin, over-appropriation can talk About how we want to in the future is reasonable and sustainable and self-determined life.

After a short round of introduction, it goes out from the workshop, up on the patio. And you can imagine spontaneously how alive it is here in the summer received must be. Between the towering buildings could be is something like a car, a scooter, a sort of covered stage, on which the neighbors are discussing, Tango dance, sing, make with children's theatre and can.

It is broken goes beyond the crunching of glass and other debris, then through one of the buildings that don't even have multi-window, over a wooden bridge, the bridges all the UPS and downs, past the young birch trees that grow here for ten years, undisturbed.

There, where in may still be holes gaped in the walls, created a large wooden window; here, benches and pedestals made of raw wood, which protrude from the inside to the outside. Behind it is a kitchen of the snails Completely Happy for the assembled journalists from Apples to cinnamon to a rich Breakfast from rescued food is prepared. A pity that the communal and experimental garden of the club Sunseeker, which consists of about 15 raised beds in a concrete backyard, it was already winterized.

will be restored To the house of the statistics and re-built, it is likely to take – until then, the current pioneer hope users, you might be continue to on the ground floor, maybe elsewhere in the house the statistics again and again secluded spots to find that will fill you with a lot of commitment, and equity, with the good, sometimes interesting, sometimes maybe even a little foolish ideas. If it is then so far, hope you are on cheap leases. Also that's why they call pioneer users and not between users, the need to get out again when the renovation is completed.

The house of the statistics is a counter-part without a business plan

When Leaving the building the view back to the house, which acts almost like a skeleton. At the very top of the lettering perched since may "different place". This word applies very well what is currently happening in the house of the statistics. It is a counterpart without a business plan in a city that is increasingly displaced. It is one of the most important experiments in Berlin at the time.

Date Of Update: 21 November 2019, 16:00
NEXT NEWS