A plan to clean up the River Spree around Museum Island in Berlin

2015-10-13T17:31:00-04:00

A proposal under consideration here called the Flussbad (“river pool”) would clean up a filthy canal, part of the River Spree, that flows around the tourist-mobbed Museum Island. The plan would add new wetlands and some place the public can literally dive into. Despite detractors who picture Berlin’s cultural center being upstaged by the equivalent of one long, riotous water-filled bouncy castle, the idea, which has been around for a while, is gaining momentum.

Over the past few decades and across the globe, cities have been increasingly reimagining their waterways and -fronts. Hydrologic infrastructure projects, from Cheonggyecheon in Seoul to the LA River Revitalization Project (to be helmed by Frank Gehry), have the potential to inspire renewed relationships between urbanites and their city.

But they also run the risk of becoming subsumed in preexisting, local political conflicts – sometimes draining the city's coffers in the process.

The Flussbad plan for Berlin proposes cleaning up a section of the canal that runs around Museum Island and connects into the River Spree.

Imagined by the design firm realities:united, the plan could include a sandy bottom and new plantings to filter the polluted water, making it safe enough for swimming at a beach in front of the landmark museums.

Notably, the plan is backed by a diverse coalition of figures spanning the political spectrum, alongside architects, planners, and environmentalists, which could si...

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A plan to clean up the River Spree around Museum Island in Berlin