Grunewald Freight Station

WBRE supported Darchill S.a.r.l., the owner of the former Grunewald freight station, in project development and project management. The goal was to restore the historic buildings in accordance with monument preservation standards and to create a future-oriented concept for the use of the approximately 16-hectare site in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. As part of an architectural ideas competition, several firms were invited to develop approaches for an overarching urban vision. The focus was less on a specific design and more on the development of a comprehensive concept for the site’s future.

The area — formerly used exclusively for freight transport — was largely undeveloped, lacked infrastructure, and was located within the sphere of influence of one of Berlin’s most significant upcoming infrastructure projects: the redesign of the Funkturm motorway interchange. Due to its size and location between the City West and recreational areas in the western part of Berlin, the site increasingly came into the focus of the district authorities and the Berlin Senate.

The development was not intended to draw its strength from the provision and marketing of residential space, but rather from the innovative potential of a new community. The so-called “kibbutz idea” aimed to create an environment for students, creatives, and start-ups — providing space for both individual and collective uses, with a strong focus on sustainable resource management, self-sufficiency, and circular economy principles. Further construction development was not planned at the time of the project.

A subsequent continuation of the project was not overseen by WBRE, as the site was later sold.