Spreebrücke Berlin is the project that Fernando Menis has carried out over the Spree river, which was esential in the industrial development of the city, but because of that it was stigmatized by lack of hygiene. It is precisely this previous industrial use which serves as inspiration for this new intervention, in addition to the fact of Berliners used to go to the river before the war conflicts of the 20th century.
This whole project, both architectural and artistic, was promoted by the Stadtkunstprojekte e.V., and curated by Heike Muller.
Description of the project by Fernando Menis
Towards the end of the 19th century, there were 15 private swimming pools along the Spree, four of them between Jannowitzbrücke and Elsenbrücke. Those pools were either a delimited area of the waters of the Spree or pools filled with clean water, known as Badeschiffe (bathing ships). Growing pollution throughout the 19th century due to the city’s industrial development led to the closure of the baths before World War I.
It was in reference to this story that we chose as our first location a spot near the Eastside Gallery, and as its material support a characteristic element in the river’s history: the Schubleichte, the transformation into a pool of a barge, a medium-sized transport vessel that is very common on the Spree.
This intervention is a combination of conceptual and material recycling. It is natural that the architect should use not just the materials of a given place to economize on resources, but also its customs, history and people.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
StadtKunstProjekte e.V. was founded in 2001 with the aim of promoting art in public spaces and the dialogue between the plastic arts, architecture and urban planning. In line with this objective, the non-profit making society plans an interdisciplinary art project in the Berlin area every two years as potentially stimulating ideas for cultural urban life.
Many of bridges built across the Spree River in Berlin in the 1950s are exemplary for the purely functional, formless bridge construction of the post war era. In the 18th and 19th century, on the other hand, bridge building in the centre of Berlin was an important artistic task, which had to satisfy high representational standards. Both architects and artists were entrusted with this task to take into account the symbolic character of bridges. Today, only few of these bridges still survive. After the Second World War, all inner city Spree bridges, with the exception of the Schilling and Weidendammer Bridges, were blown up. Furthermore, the division of Berlin led to neglect of the bridges and the waterside as, in many places, these formed the border. Despite major investment by the Berlin Senate, many of the bridges in Berlin today lead a shadowy existence without urban life.
This deficit is the reason why StadtKunstProjekte e.V. is initiating a project in 2002/ 2003 for Berlin bridges under the title con_con - constructed connections with international artists, architects and engineers which comprehends once again that bridge building is an interdisciplinary task. The aim is not only to develop new ideas for bridges but also to convert existing bridges into places of communication and encounters within the urban context.
Con_con's challenge exists in the task of using interdisciplinary artistic means to fill the term "Bridge" with up-to-date content and to implement these "Bridges" at definite locations in the city.
BATHING-BOAT
The bathing-ship is a so called Schubleichter (middlepiece of a transport-boat common on the Spree), which will be transformed into a swimming-pool. The upper parts of the boat will be removed and a new profile is going to be installed as a new contour. The "basin" will be filled with water until there is a homogenous surface. The filling in of the fresh water allows a pipe on the bottom of the basin wheras the pipes for the outgoing water are positioned under the new construction. The pipes end in a filter, which, together with the other services are positioned within the container. The water surface is highlightened by a lighting system in different colours (green/blue) which are installed in the inner side walls. The fixation of the boat at the quay is guaranteed by two flexible steel frames. Within the Spree the bathing-ship marks a clean area of water that makes the swimming in the river an attraction. In winter it could be possible to use the bathing-ship as a ice-skating area.
BEACH
The shape of the beach mimics the shape of the boat and consists of wooden horizontal elements connected to each other by metal rings. Metal rods inserted put vertically through the rings fix the poles on the ground. This flexible structure guarantees a quick setting-up and packing of the beach, an easy transportation and adaptation to different ground conditions. The beach will be filled with very light, big marbles, that will be illuminated at night from the ground.
BRIDGE
The bridge is the connection between the beach and the pool. The construction also obeys the concept of an easy setting-up and packing of the beach. It consists of a simple steel construction with wooden planks to walk on. The bridge will be fixed on the embankment and simply rests on the river's bed. One element is articulated, so that the access to the pool can be controlled or forbidden (i.e. at night).
CONTAINER
The enclosure is an ordinary transport-container (Stueckgut-Container) and holds all services for the swimming pool. This includes the pumps and filters for the swimming- pool, the toilets and the changing-rooms. The integration of a bar is also possible.
STRUCTURAL BOAT DYNAMICS OF THE PROPOSED POOL
The structural modifications of the boat will not affect the primary structure of the boat, the floating characteristics and the stability during any transport. The boat is moored and immovilized in relation with the river edge by the use of a steel structure which will have no mayor impact during the filling of the pool.
