Mauer-Frei : generating transformation at the Berlin-Brandenburg border

Abstract

Whether architectural or urban in scale, the basic building element of the wall is invariably a product of its sociopolitical context. While often deceptively simple in form, walls embody complex political maneuvering and perpetuate tremendous divisive power. A striking instance of this at a large scale was the descent of the Iron Curtain across Europe, which, through the aggressive imposition of walls, literally and metaphorically concretized the ideological contention between democracy and communism in the twentieth century. Taking Berlin as a vivid case through which to investigate the legacy of this polarizing divider, this thesis offers a timely reflection on the potential and relevance of subverting the inherent divisiveness of walls. Titled MauerFrei (or, “Wall-Free”), this thesis project advances an antithetical elaboration on the restrictive and imposing influence of the Berlin Wall and positively engages those traversing the zone demarcated by the former DreilindenDrewitz (East) and Checkpoint Bravo (West) border crossings.