Bike Parking

Client: Oxford Properties Group & Forum Event Management GmbH

In the heart of Berlin, on the vibrant

Potsdamer Platz, an innovative bike parking project, designed by Kinzo Architects, has opened on 1 October 2024. The thoughtfully designed space is a response to the changing infrastructures and habits of mobility that result in an increasing demand for bicycle infrastructure, specifically in the German capital. With the bicycle parking, Das Center owners Oxford Properties Group & Norges Bank Investment Management are responding to the trend of more and more people choosing to cycle to work. As part of the revitalization of Potsdamer Platz, the bike parking not only offers a practical function, but also integrates seamlessly into the surrounding entertainment, commercial and office space. Redesign and Reuse The former underground shopping arcade was a narrow, curved passageway with no daylight and had individual retail spaces to the left and right along the corridor. These challenges of the existing structure were taken as an opportunity for a redesign and reuse. With the aim of revitalizing the space and adapting it to the needs of modern urban development, the idea of a car park for bicycles was born. New connection The new bike parking connectsthe Potsdamer Platz underground and S-Bahn station with Das Center and is open to all tenants and visitors. Potsdamer Platz, once a hub for urban traffic, is being revived as a public space thanks to the bike parking. From city bikes and racing and mountain bikes, BMX bikes, e-bikes and even cargo bikes – with over 200 parking spaces, every bike hasits place here. Newer forms of urban mobility such as e-scooters, Segways and skateboards are also catered for. The versatile infra-structure of the bike car park offers customised solutions for a wide variety of means of transport. The design challenges were as manifold as the future vehicle fleet: the bike car park is completely underground and therefore had to be intuitive to use, robust and inviting at the same time. Kinzo have created a place where users feel safe and comfortable. Inspired by the cross -section of a bicycle tyre, the design reflectsthe geometry of the space and invites you to immerse yourself in another world. The colour and lighting design is an integral part of the overall concept for Das Center am Potsdamer Platz, and in the case of the bike parking, this is reflected in a red -violet spectrum. Radially arranged lights create a brightly illuminated, abstract, almost futuristic atmosphere and are integrated into the specially designed partition walls between the bicycles. The bike parking space in Das Center am Potsdamer Platz is a statement for sustainable urban development and a leap forward in Berlin’s urban mobility.