KSP Engel wins design competition for Urbane Mitte Süd in Berlin

The winning design convinces with a clear urban setting, a robust and differentiated architectural attitude and a natural integration into the heavily frequented urban space at Gleisdreieck. The jury particularly emphasized the strong design of the base area, which accommodates the different uses, strengthens the public space and creates a high quality of stay in the transition between park and development. The two high points fit precisely into the urban situation and develop a striking but restrained integrated silhouette.

Dr. Simon Kempf, Managing Director of Periskop Development GmbH: "We are very pleased with the result of the competition. The winning design finds a convincing architectural answer to the special requirements of this location and combines design quality, variety of uses and sustainability. After many years of intensive planning, it is now becoming very concrete what the Urbane Mitte Süd will look like in the future. With this decision, we are now going into implementation."

Prof. Petra Kahlfeldt, Senate Building Director of the State of Berlin: "The location at Gleisdreieck places high demands on architecture and integration into the park. The award-winning design meets this special inner-city place with robustness and creative power. It develops a convincing response to an environment that is equally characterised by transport facilities, the park, monuments and urban life."

Architecture for a special Berlin locationThe subject of the competition was the planning of a building ensemble on the two southern construction sites of the Urbane Mitte Am Gleisdreieck. Two high points with a height of around 49 and 25 metres are planned on a floor area of around 23,750 square metres, which will be connected by a common plinth.

The plan is to create a multi-purpose ensemble with accommodation facilities as well as publicly oriented uses on the lower floors. This includes in particular offers from the areas of sports, gastronomy and small-scale trade. High demands on architecture, sustainability, space efficiency and economic feasibility were among the central criteria of the competition.

The project developer, Urbane Mitte Am Gleisdreieck, pursues a comprehensive sustainability claim. The entire quarter has already been pre-certified in platinum by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

Seven planning teams in the competitionThe implementation competition was held from April to August 2026. Seven renowned architectural firms worked together with landscape architecture firms to develop their designs for the Urbane Mitte Süd.

1st prize: KSP Engel with nsp landschaftsarchitekten stadtplaner2. Prize: Kleihues + Kleihues with POLA Landscape Architects

3rd prize: Ortner & Ortner Baukunst with st room A

3rd Prize: Baumschlager Eberle with Luz Landscape Architecture

The jury, chaired by Prof. Markus Allmann, also included Elise Pischetsrieder, Jórunn Ragnarsdóttir and Prof. Maren Brakebusch as expert judges.

The judges were Prof. Petra Kahlfeldt, Senate Building Director of the State of Berlin, Dr. Simon Kempf and Tatjana Keil from Periskop Development.

Next stepsThe Urbane Mitte Süd is part of the Urbane Mitte Am Gleisdreieck district development between the Park am Gleisdreieck and the Gleisdreieck underground station. The VI-140cab development plan for the two southern construction sites was adopted by the Berlin House of Representatives on February 26, 2026.

With the conclusion of the realisation competition, the winning design will now be further concretised. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027.