BIKE PARKING, PROJECT: KINZO ARCHITECTS
An innovative bike parking facility designed by KinzoArchitects in lively Potsdamer Platz right in the middle of Berlin has now opened. This multidisciplinary firm was set up in 2005 by Karim El-Ishmawi, Martin Jacobs, and Chris Middleton, with offices in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg. The space is a modern and functional response to the latest demands in terms of infrastructure and mobility, particularly evident in the German capital. This bike parking facility is the response of the owners of DasCenter, Oxford Properties Group, and NorgesBank Investment Management to the boom in people opting to commute to work by bike.
The
project, which is part of the redevelopment of Potsdamer Platz, not only serves
a practical purpose, it also fits perfectly into the surrounding entertainment,
commercial, and office spaces thanks to the meticulous design of its features
and highly original neat colour scheme.
The
design of the new bike parking facility allows for the reuse and revitalization
of a former underground shopping gallery that was once a narrow, curving
passageway lacking in natural light, with commercial spaces on both sides of
the way. The structure, which connects Potsdamer Platz subway and S-Bahn
station to Das Center, also contributes to the revitalization of Potsdamer
Platz, once a hub of urban traffic, giving it back to the people for their
enjoyment.
From
city bikes to racing bikes, from mountain bikes to BMX, from e-bikes to even
cargo bikes, boasting over 200 parking spaces, the versatility of the bike facility
offers customised solutions for a wide variety of means of transport.
Client: Oxford Properties Group, Norges Bank Investment Management; Project: Kinzo Architects; Partner: MWWM Ausbau, Aukett+Heese, Büro Happold, SMV Projektsteuerung. Photo: ©Schnepp Renou
