Building on empty - Berlin's duality of space

‘Building on Empty’ is an installation and a collective archive. It visualises the complexity of the housing crisis in Berlin and the central role that Tempelhofer Feld plays in it. The interactive installation invites people to question: why not make use of what exists, instead of building on Tempelhofer Feld? It is a critique of profit-driven planning and a defense of green voids and our rights to the city!

Tempelhofer Feld is at risk!
We see it as our mission to protect this space in its entirety.
We see the housing crisis right outside our homes, 
but we will not be forced to choose between housing rights and ecological justice. 


Through art, mapping, and researching together with you and your memories, we want to explore Tempelhofer Feld’s irreplaceable value as a green void. This installation questions why profit-driven urban development continues to prioritize market logic over human needs. Inspired by activist artists, this project uses art as a tool to provoke thought, encourage engagement and raise questions about our rights to the city. It demands that urban space serves human and ecological needs, not economic capital.

The installation becomes a space for collective reimagination, conversation and friendly discussion. It is for anyone interested in exploring Tempelhofer Feld’s symbolic role in the housing crisis and how to protect it as a green space for our communities. Bring your favourite Feld memory in physical or non-physical form; a flower you found nearby, a photo you took in the snow or a song that makes you smile, and share it with the installation and its visitors.

You are very welcome to join us for a shared (opening) moment on Saturday, September 5th at 11:30am, where you will have the opportunity to interact with us, your communities, and the installation. You can of course also come at any other time of the day. You can find us at the east side of Tempelhofer Feld in the community garden Allmende-Kontor at their Dorfplatz (white tent and stage area).

We hope to see you there <3