The Ark Metropolis history
Where did the idea for Ark Metropolis come from?
Ark Metropolis comes from an idea by the Berlin artist Tarik Mustafa from 2006 for the use of the total area of the Tempelhof airfield, the former Berlin Tempelhof Airport (THF).
Main components of the idea are
- a permanent Expo for sustainability on the site of the former airport,
- a competence centre for future-oriented research and development in the airport building and
- the inclusion of participation in the existing context for sustainability.
The Berlin Senate and its model project for citizen participation
Invited by the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development and Environment Ark Metropolis was active over 3 years from August 2010 to December 2013 as an “art project for the chances and the development of the urban society in the 21st Century” at Tempelhof field to collaborate in a model project for participation in urban development processes. The preamble of the treaty:
“In Tempelhof Park pioneering and temporary use as drivers of a procedural and participatory urban development are specifically integrated into an urban planning process for the first time.”
The Tempelhof airfield as a model site for participation
The model site for the preparation of the Ark Metropolis Europe Expedition, the so-called “pioneering field,” was based on 13,000 m² of the Tempelhof airfield located at the Tempelhofer Damm area and divided into 3 sections:
- the construction site of the “Ark Metropolis”, modular designed as a ship and as home to a mobile academy with think tanks and symposia,
- a learning and experience spot for young and old with construction and craft huts, a seminar venue, the “edible landscapes of the Ark Metropolis”, etc.,
- an exhibition and presentation venue for partners with future-oriented technology, products, ideas or services.
