Kreuzberg: Mehringplatz

Mehringplatz is a large circular square in Kreuzberg, surrounded by post-war housing and central urban infrastructure. At Mehringplatz, the local character comes from the relationship between the open square, its surrounding façades, paths and the streets that feed into it. The everyday rhythm of Mehringplatz is shaped by changes in seating, greenery, pedestrian movement and the uses at the edges of the space. Mehringplatz lies in the borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, about 2.0 km southwest of central Berlin. Mehringplatz merges gradually into Am Berlin Museum and Askanischer Platz; building scale, street activity and open space change before any clear boundary is felt. The character of Mehringplatz is clearest along everyday routes between homes, public space and nearby destinations. Around Mehringplatz, even a few minutes on foot can bring noticeable changes in noise, greenery and access to everyday services. This gives Mehringplatz a distinctive quality: a clear public focus for the surrounding streets.