MA Studio SoSe 2026
Dr. Juliana Canedo, M. Sc. Qusay Amer, Prof. Dr. Philipp Misselwitz, Prof. Dr. Anke Hagemann

BERLIN
Arrival Landscapes

Berlin has repeatedly responded to large-scale displacement through provisional spatial and organizational infrastructures. The conversion of Flughafen Tegel into a Notaufnahmeunterkunft stands as one of the most recent examples of crisis-driven urban transformation. Rather than understanding arrival solely as a humanitarian response, this studio approaches it as a complex governance, planning, and spatial process that reshapes institutions, neighborhoods, and lived experiences. 

Taking the planned arrival center in Kreuzberg as a point of reference, and following the closure of the Tegel center in 2025, the course critically reflects on how large-scale arrival infrastructures intersect with local dynamics in Kreuzberg – a district historically shaped by migration and political activism, yet increasingly marked by gentrification. Through document analysis, spatial mapping, interviews, and collaborative workshops, students will translate institutional knowledge into spatial strategies and guidelines. The aim is not only to rethink arrival as an urban condition but also to develop evidence-based and counter-hegemonic approaches to temporary large-scale accommodation in Berlin.

Methodologically, the studio builds on collaborative and participatory approaches. Through workshops and co-design sessions with former residents of the Tegel arrival center, local initiatives, and neighbors around the new site, students will engage multiple perspectives to critically reflect on implementation processes and neighborhood impacts. The aim is to develop spatial strategies that contribute to more inclusive and counter-hegemonic forms of urban development in Berlin.

Photo: © Qusay Amer

Download poster here.