{"id":211,"date":"2025-05-20T17:34:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/?p=211"},"modified":"2026-07-28T17:02:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:02:38","slug":"redundant-infrastructures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/redundant-infrastructures\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Infrastructuras Redundantes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/louise-rondel-43499019b\/?originalSubdomain=uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Louise Rondel<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/laura-henneke-55bb6010b\/?originalSubdomain=de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Laura Henneke&nbsp;<\/a>prepared this issue. Photos:&nbsp;Laura Henneke y \u00c1lvaro M\u00e1rquez <\/strong><\/em><b><i>Fern\u00e1ndez<\/i><\/b>.<em><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-base-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-aaeb66f08c2f3a7ae4667c6d02b53f3d wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#a21914;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">Editor\u2019s note: This number resulted from an ethnographic exercise led by Laura Henneke and Louise Rondel, in which a group of ten people explored the socio-material entanglements and contradictions of a car-centered infrastructure in Berlin. After such a fantastic walk, we decided to turn that experience and their reflections into a zine, discuss the notion of redundant infrastructure, and provoke further urban explorations worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/#1\">Introduction:&nbsp;<em>Infrastructural Explorations<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/#2\">Walkshop: From the Bierpinsel to the Schlangenbader Tunnel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/#3\">The route: A step-by-step guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/#5\">A visual exploration<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/#6\">Mapping encounters and possibilities<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/#7\">Handbook references<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Introduction:&nbsp;<em>Infrastructural Explorations<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Infrastructural Explorations&nbsp;<\/em>is a series of urban walkshops co-founded by Louise Rondel and Laura Henneke in 2018 in London. Wanting to get out of the classroom, in these walkshops, we invite participants \u2013 members of the public, researchers and students \u2013 to join us in walking through the city, tracing different forms of urban infrastructure and critically engaging with their impacts on the landscape. As part of the series, we have walked along the River Thames, hunted for above-ground clues to the London Underground, visited municipal- and volunteer-run public libraries, and followed household rubbish to the incinerator and recycling plant. We have also walked around the canals of Castlefield in Manchester, taken DeWaterbus along the Scheldt in Antwerp passing oil refineries and cargo ports, and carried out an infrastructural scavenger hunt over Zoom during the pandemic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In November 2024, we facilitated a walkshop in Berlin-Steglitz, walking adjacent to and along infrastructure built for highways that never were. We finished our walk in the Schlangenbader Tunnel, recently closed to undergo repairs, affording a pedestrian experience of the wide, smooth asphalt of the highway leading to it, usually solely for motor vehicles. As we walked, we considered the (car-centric) futures that were imagined when these infrastructures were built, what it feels like to be a pedestrian in an auto-landscape, how they have been made redundant, and the other futures which are possible, how they could be (made) non-redundant again to enable different ways of living in cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the following, we present our walk through this part of Berlin, from the Bierpinsel to the Schlangenbader Tunnel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-tertiary-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9bf84538 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center alignwide has-border-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c304e1d9f2435c9ee89e92c3d2f76f99\" style=\"border-color:#a21914;border-width:1px;color:#a21914;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">Walkshop: From the Bierpinsel to the Schlangenbader Tunnel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2018Out-of-place: Redundant infrastructures and walking in auto-landscapes\u2019&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Date:&nbsp;<\/strong>Thursday 14th November, 12:00 \u2013 15:00<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Starting location:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260117155335\/https:\/\/www.openstreetmap.org\/node\/752845061\">&nbsp;U Bahnhof Schlo\u00dfstra\u00dfe<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The route:&nbsp;<\/strong>From the iconic Bierpinsel into the Schlangenbader Tunnel<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Information for participants:<\/strong>&nbsp;Focusing on urban landscapes designed for driving and contestations to this ideal of the car-centric city, this walkshop will explore out-of-placeness \u2013 both highway infrastructures that were redundant before they were ever used and how it feels to be a walker in places built for cars. In an exercise in opening our sociological imaginations to the city, this is not a guided tour but rather an open and experimental collective exploration. We invite participants to attune to their bodily and emotional experiences in the places through which we walk, to allow our conversations to be prompted by what we encounter and to be open to the unexpected and happenstance. In connecting our \u2018personal troubles\u2019 to \u2018public issues\u2019, together we will reflect on how these embodied and affective encounters with the auto-infrastructure can attune us to questions of infrastructure\u2019s social life, the politics of its siting, urban power dynamics, distributional (in)justice and forms of (infra)structural violence. We also consider how this out-of-placeness alerts us to questions of the future of auto-landscapes, in particular in the current context of plans to extend Berlin\u2019s A100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\">The walk will be approximately four kilometers, with the pace set by participants. The terrain is paved with a variety of textures. It includes several flights of stairs which can be circumnavigated if necessary. Otherwise, the walk is generally flat with some slopes and may be uneven in places. It will involve walking along and crossing busy roads. There is a public toilet along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"alignwide wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Documenting the walk:&nbsp;<\/strong>Participants are invited to contribute to a shared Padlet as we walk. Please upload any reflections, images, sound recordings or videos onto the map.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The route: A step-by-step guide<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><style>.ablocks-block-a9836e18-cbb9-4d5c-a048-105f773665d9 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-a9836e18-cbb9-4d5c-a048-105f773665d9 .ablocks-block--single-accordion { margin-bottom:10px; } .ablocks-block-a9836e18-cbb9-4d5c-a048-105f773665d9 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading .ablocks-block-accordion-title { color:#000000;margin-left:10px; } .ablocks-block-a9836e18-cbb9-4d5c-a048-105f773665d9 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading { background:#F9F9F9; } .ablocks-block-a9836e18-cbb9-4d5c-a048-105f773665d9 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:#000000;font-size:30px; } .ablocks-block-a9836e18-cbb9-4d5c-a048-105f773665d9 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content { background:#F9F9F9; } <\/style>\n<div data-multiple=\"false\" data-initial-open=\"0\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-a9836e18-cbb9-4d5c-a048-105f773665d9 ablocks-block--accordion\"><style>.ablocks-block-7da449a8-8c08-46a9-8a75-4ec21dad40b8 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-7da449a8-8c08-46a9-8a75-4ec21dad40b8 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } .ablocks-block-7da449a8-8c08-46a9-8a75-4ec21dad40b8 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading:hover svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } <\/style>\n<div data-id-acc=\"-1\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-7da449a8-8c08-46a9-8a75-4ec21dad40b8 ablocks-block--single-accordion\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-rightSide\"><p class=\"ablocks-block-accordion-title\">Accordion Title 0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-open\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-off\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__body\"><div class=\"wp-block-ablocks-single-accordion ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content\"><style>.ablocks-block-23df8c71-7c6b-4a37-985d-15fc1aad436e { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-23df8c71-7c6b-4a37-985d-15fc1aad436e { text-align:left; } .ablocks-block-23df8c71-7c6b-4a37-985d-15fc1aad436e .ablocks-paragraph-text { color:#000000; } .ablocks-block-23df8c71-7c6b-4a37-985d-15fc1aad436e .ablocks-paragraph-text-drop-caps::first-letter { color:#0f2aff; } <\/style>\n<div class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-23df8c71-7c6b-4a37-985d-15fc1aad436e ablocks-block--paragraph\"><p class=\"ablocks-paragraph-text ablocks-paragraph-text-md\">We start at street level of the Schlo\u00dfstra\u00dfe underground station, right under the Joachim Tiburtius Bridge in Berlin-Steglitz. The air is thick with the smell of sewage. Above us looms the Bierpinsel, a futuristic but now somewhat neglected landmark designed in the 1970s by architects Ralf Sch\u00fcler and Ursulina Sch\u00fcler-Witte &#8211; also responsible for Berlin&#8217;s iconic ICC exhibition center. Unlike many underpasses, the space in which we meet is actively used, following the architects&#8217; vision, although it remains defined by the oversized infrastructural imposition above. Oversized because it was planned as a six-lane motorway running straight through the neighborhood. More on this later. People pass by with shopping bags, waiting at the bus stop or pausing to buy a sausage from a stall. In winter, the open space under the bridge is visited by the Suppenbus on Tuesdays. Volunteers serve a hot meal and tea from their van to people who wouldn&#8217;t otherwise get it. <br><br>Schlo\u00dfstra\u00dfe, Steglitz&#8217;s main commercial artery, unfolds around us, lined with the well-known brands and department stores typical of German shopping streets.<br>From here we start walking eastward, following the underside of the bridge but remaining at street level, searching for the quickest route to the staircase that will take us up onto the Joachim-Tiburtius Bridge. Behind the toy store, we circumnavigate the multi-story car park. To reach the staircase, we must navigate around it and cross D\u00fcppelstra\u00dfe.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a7c4e52d834b&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a7c4e52d834b\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_4122-2.heic\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-938\"\/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.ablocks-block-ada5930e-bb64-491f-9c26-e865ed02392d { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-ada5930e-bb64-491f-9c26-e865ed02392d .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } .ablocks-block-ada5930e-bb64-491f-9c26-e865ed02392d .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading:hover svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } <\/style>\n<div data-id-acc=\"-1\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-ada5930e-bb64-491f-9c26-e865ed02392d ablocks-block--single-accordion\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-rightSide\"><p class=\"ablocks-block-accordion-title\">Accordion Title 0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-open\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-off\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__body\"><div class=\"wp-block-ablocks-single-accordion ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content\"><style>.ablocks-block-9039cce6-c8ee-4c9c-8f4b-ffd52acaca68 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-9039cce6-c8ee-4c9c-8f4b-ffd52acaca68 { text-align:left; } .ablocks-block-9039cce6-c8ee-4c9c-8f4b-ffd52acaca68 .ablocks-paragraph-text { color:#000000; } .ablocks-block-9039cce6-c8ee-4c9c-8f4b-ffd52acaca68 .ablocks-paragraph-text-drop-caps::first-letter { color:#0f2aff; } <\/style>\n<div class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-9039cce6-c8ee-4c9c-8f4b-ffd52acaca68 ablocks-block--paragraph\"><p class=\"ablocks-paragraph-text ablocks-paragraph-text-md\">D\u00fcppelstra\u00dfe offers an unusual urban scene. One side is lined with Berlin\u2019s characteristic turn-of-the-century tenement buildings, but the opposite side is simply nonexistent. Instead of housing blocks, there is a roaring six-lane motorway with an additional two-lane slip road, with the S-Bahn tracks running parallel. In the 1960s, this side of D\u00fcppelstra\u00dfe was sacrificed for a 4.2 km long stretch of motorway, a high-speed corridor of noise, pollution, and ceaseless movement.&nbsp;<br><br>We take the stairs up to Joachim-Tiburtius Bridge to oversee the large infrastructural damage to the neighborhood. When approaching the staircase, it feels like walking right into the roaring traffic. Talking to each other becomes difficult, and the sense of safety is diminished by lorries and cars that pass right next to us. The escalators are out of order, encased in a makeshift coffin; the staircase is dark and smells of urine. It leads to a small sheltered platform between two motorway slip roads. Built as a stop for an express bus network, it has no obvious function today, but is a good example of the redundant infrastructure that was intended as part of Berlin&#8217;s inner-city motorway network, initiated in 1910. Construction started during the Nazi regime, but it was in the period after the Second World War, when East and West Berlin underwent significant urban expansion with a strong trend towards car use resulting in major transformations of important arterial roads. Despite the extensive destruction of Berlin&#8217;s urban fabric during the war, planners did not hesitate to demolish intact buildings to accomplish the vision of a car-friendly Berlin. As a result, city streets and squares were transformed into motorways and traffic junctions.&nbsp;<br><br>Alarmed by such dramatic changes, citizens mobilized to protest against the completion of plans to build the so-called Westtangente. As part of a wider network, this motorway would have plowed northwards through the districts of Sch\u00f6neberg, Tiergarten and Moabit. The historic protest movement was successful, and the larger vision of Berlin\u2019s inner-city motorways was never completed. Nor was the construction of a transverse link from Joachim-Tiburtius Bridge \u2013 where we are now standing \u2013 to Breitenbachplatz. If it wasn\u2019t for the protesters, the connecting Schildhornstra\u00dfe would have suffered the same fate, losing one of its rows to the wrecking ball, repeating the dramatic cut that had already reshaped D\u00fcppelstra\u00dfe.&nbsp;<br><br>Consequently, the Joachim-Tiburtius Bridge became redundant before it ever fulfilled its intended function\u2014a monument to an urban vision that was never fully realized and now feels oversized. The speed limit on the bridge is reduced to 30 km\/h. However, the layout of the road is like a motorway, inviting drivers to speed. On the day of our walkshop, we watch the police conducting speed checks, stopping cars that cannot resist the urge or that simply feel entitled to drive faster when they are lifted above street level.&nbsp;<br><br>With no choice, we take the stairs back down to D\u00fcppelstra\u00dfe and head back to the iconic Bierpinsel to climb another flight of stairs &#8211; a short distance for cars, but a complicated and zigzagging one for pedestrians, and the opposite of an accessible route.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a7c4e52d9f4b&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a7c4e52d9f4b\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5135-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-963\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5135-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5135-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5135-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5135-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5135-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5135-2-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.ablocks-block-784f21ff-6d5b-46a7-8e4e-2bbe7cb01d27 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-784f21ff-6d5b-46a7-8e4e-2bbe7cb01d27 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading .ablocks-block-accordion-title { -webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:#000; } .ablocks-block-784f21ff-6d5b-46a7-8e4e-2bbe7cb01d27 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } .ablocks-block-784f21ff-6d5b-46a7-8e4e-2bbe7cb01d27 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading:hover svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } <\/style>\n<div data-id-acc=\"-1\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-784f21ff-6d5b-46a7-8e4e-2bbe7cb01d27 ablocks-block--single-accordion\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-rightSide\"><p class=\"ablocks-block-accordion-title\">Accordion Title 0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-open\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-off\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__body\"><div class=\"wp-block-ablocks-single-accordion ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content\"><style>.ablocks-block-c9a4b9cd-03b2-462b-be6c-b3b8a689785c { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-c9a4b9cd-03b2-462b-be6c-b3b8a689785c { text-align:left; } .ablocks-block-c9a4b9cd-03b2-462b-be6c-b3b8a689785c .ablocks-paragraph-text { color:#000000; } .ablocks-block-c9a4b9cd-03b2-462b-be6c-b3b8a689785c .ablocks-paragraph-text-drop-caps::first-letter { color:#0f2aff; } <\/style>\n<div class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-c9a4b9cd-03b2-462b-be6c-b3b8a689785c ablocks-block--paragraph\"><p class=\"ablocks-paragraph-text ablocks-paragraph-text-md\">The tower, nicknamed Bierpinsel (beer brush), was opened in 1976 as a restaurant with great views of what would have become a massive knot in Berlin\u2019s motorway system. The tower is structurally integrated into the Joachim Tiburtius Bridge. The building, which is visible from afar in Steglitz, is part of pop architecture, reflected not only in the unusual polygonal shape of the tower but also in the orange-red color scheme. Next to the tower is the stair tower, which houses the steps for the ascent. After a caf\u00e9 moved out as the last tenant in 2010, the tower stood empty and is in need of renovation following water damage. However, the current owner is not working on the listed building, and instead the immediate space around it is falling into disrepair.<br><br>We go back down the stairs and turn right to walk west along the ramp of the Joachim Tiburtius Bridge. The space under the landing is used as a car park. Decorative details in this otherwise uninviting space remind us that the structure is part of the overall design by the architects Sch\u00fcler-Witte, which includes the Bierpinsel Tower, the Joachim Tiburtius Bridge and the space underneath it, as well as the Schlossstrasse underground station. We walk along buildings with shop fronts occupied by inconspicuous shops, take-out restaurants or service providers. It dawns on us that the monstrous ramps prevent walk-in customers from turning into the side street of the large Schlosstra\u00dfe with its shopping. On the other side of the ramp stretches the naked fa\u00e7ade of the \u201dBoulevard\u201d, a giant inner-city shopping mall with mostly vacant retail space. Same as the motorway, it feels out-of-space and oversized in this neighborhood.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a7c4e52dae5f&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a7c4e52dae5f\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5136-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-965\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5136-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5136-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5136-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5136-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5136-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5136-2-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.ablocks-block-fbb83cee-9968-418b-b956-4ac27b8f138e { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-fbb83cee-9968-418b-b956-4ac27b8f138e .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } .ablocks-block-fbb83cee-9968-418b-b956-4ac27b8f138e .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading:hover svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } <\/style>\n<div data-id-acc=\"-1\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-fbb83cee-9968-418b-b956-4ac27b8f138e ablocks-block--single-accordion\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-rightSide\"><p class=\"ablocks-block-accordion-title\">Accordion Title 0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-open\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-off\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__body\"><div class=\"wp-block-ablocks-single-accordion ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content\"><style>.ablocks-block-da84a18a-4535-40f2-9576-90013d77c4a2 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-da84a18a-4535-40f2-9576-90013d77c4a2 { text-align:left; } .ablocks-block-da84a18a-4535-40f2-9576-90013d77c4a2 .ablocks-paragraph-text { color:#000000; } .ablocks-block-da84a18a-4535-40f2-9576-90013d77c4a2 .ablocks-paragraph-text-drop-caps::first-letter { color:#0f2aff; } <\/style>\n<div class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-da84a18a-4535-40f2-9576-90013d77c4a2 ablocks-block--paragraph\"><p class=\"ablocks-paragraph-text ablocks-paragraph-text-md\">Walking along Schildhornstra\u00dfe for the next 500 meters is typical of a main street in Berlin. If we had walked here two years earlier, we would have been surrounded by much heavier traffic. Schildhornstra\u00dfe, which was once intended to be a motorway, nevertheless served the purpose of a cross-connection between two inner-city motorways and thus led to very heavy traffic congestion. The result was one of Berlin\u2019s most polluted streets, a congested corridor of noise and exhaust fumes cutting through the neighborhood.<br><br>The relief came with the closure of the Schlangenbader Tunnel which will mark the end of our walk. Traffic has been rerouted elsewhere, and Schildhornstra\u00dfe feels almost uncharacteristically quiet\u2014an unsettling reminder of how drastically the flow of urban life can change with a single infrastructural decision.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4133-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4133-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4133-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4133-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4133-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4133-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4133-2-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.ablocks-block-80ca4cbe-787e-4708-97a7-5f426210ea56 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-80ca4cbe-787e-4708-97a7-5f426210ea56 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } .ablocks-block-80ca4cbe-787e-4708-97a7-5f426210ea56 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading:hover svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } <\/style>\n<div data-id-acc=\"-1\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-80ca4cbe-787e-4708-97a7-5f426210ea56 ablocks-block--single-accordion\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-rightSide\"><p class=\"ablocks-block-accordion-title\">Accordion Title 0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-open\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-off\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__body\"><div class=\"wp-block-ablocks-single-accordion ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content\"><style>.ablocks-block-8e04d749-ae83-406c-83b7-38f50700d755 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-8e04d749-ae83-406c-83b7-38f50700d755 { text-align:left; } .ablocks-block-8e04d749-ae83-406c-83b7-38f50700d755 .ablocks-paragraph-text { color:#000000; } .ablocks-block-8e04d749-ae83-406c-83b7-38f50700d755 .ablocks-paragraph-text-drop-caps::first-letter { color:#0f2aff; } <\/style>\n<div class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-8e04d749-ae83-406c-83b7-38f50700d755 ablocks-block--paragraph\"><p class=\"ablocks-paragraph-text ablocks-paragraph-text-md\">Breitenbachplatz lies in front of us, but instead of a square we see another relic of Berlin\u2019s unfinished highway network: oversized, underutilized ramps redundant in their function yet still dominant in their physical presence. Instead of efficiently guiding traffic, they create a deep cut in the square, isolating different parts of the neighborhood, turning what could have been a cohesive public space into a fragmented, car-dominated landscape.<br><br>We find the ramps blocked off with construction site fencing. From here we walk with a special permit from Berlin\u2019s Civil Engineering Department. Walking up the ramps makes you feel small. A person on a roadway makes you feel small and powerful at the same time. Their smooth asphalt is dotted with rabbit droppings of rabbits. These animals must feel even smaller.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5153-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5153-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5153-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5153-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5153-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5153-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5153-2-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.ablocks-block-3786a5b0-9856-4da7-8c3c-8b9d99f3b76f { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-3786a5b0-9856-4da7-8c3c-8b9d99f3b76f .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } .ablocks-block-3786a5b0-9856-4da7-8c3c-8b9d99f3b76f .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading:hover svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } <\/style>\n<div data-id-acc=\"-1\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-3786a5b0-9856-4da7-8c3c-8b9d99f3b76f ablocks-block--single-accordion\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-rightSide\"><p class=\"ablocks-block-accordion-title\">Accordion Title 0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-open\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-off\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__body\"><div class=\"wp-block-ablocks-single-accordion ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content\"><style>.ablocks-block-3c6f3dc1-69ba-44d8-a50c-48f467a39846 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-3c6f3dc1-69ba-44d8-a50c-48f467a39846 { text-align:left; } .ablocks-block-3c6f3dc1-69ba-44d8-a50c-48f467a39846 .ablocks-paragraph-text { color:#000000; } .ablocks-block-3c6f3dc1-69ba-44d8-a50c-48f467a39846 .ablocks-paragraph-text-drop-caps::first-letter { color:#0f2aff; } <\/style>\n<div class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-3c6f3dc1-69ba-44d8-a50c-48f467a39846 ablocks-block--paragraph\"><p class=\"ablocks-paragraph-text ablocks-paragraph-text-md\">The ramps lead to the Schlangenbader Tunnel &#8211; a bold experiment in urban planning. Built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, die Schlange (the Snake) is the only residential building in the world constructed directly on top of a fully enclosed autobahn. Over a thousand apartments sit above the 1.7-kilometer tunnel, an attempt to combine infrastructure and housing in cramped West Berlin. Today, however, the tunnel is in need of serious repairs, forcing the city to close it down. It also raises the question of redundancy: was this street ever truly needed as a major traffic artery, or was it simply a byproduct of Berlin\u2019s overbuilt road network?<br>The sudden closure has disrupted established traffic patterns, but it has also exposed an uncomfortable truth: the tunnel itself may be as redundant as the ramps at Breitenbachplatz. Its function as a major traffic corridor has been largely absorbed by other routes, and its role as a residential experiment remains an outlier in urban design.<br><br>People briefly reclaimed the closed Schlangenbader Tunnel, turning the eerie space into an impromptu playground for street art, underground events, and makeshift hangouts. But the city soon intervened, fencing off the entrances and installing surveillance cameras to prevent further trespassing.<br><br>These sites\u2014Schildhornstra\u00dfe, Breitenbachplatz, and the Schlangenbader Tunnel\u2014stand as reminders of Berlin\u2019s layered urban history, shaped by ambitious infrastructure projects, shifting transportation policies, and the persistent tension between mobility and neighborhood life. Yet they also reveal something else: the redundancy of much of Berlin\u2019s car-oriented infrastructure. Projects once seen as essential now exist in a limbo between obsolescence and preservation, leaving behind spaces that are neither fully functional nor fully reclaimed by the city.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5156-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-970\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5156-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5156-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5156-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5156-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5156-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5156-2-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.ablocks-block-7976284b-6850-4f35-824e-1fc55ed8ce78 { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-7976284b-6850-4f35-824e-1fc55ed8ce78 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } .ablocks-block-7976284b-6850-4f35-824e-1fc55ed8ce78 .ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading:hover svg.ablocks-svg-icon { fill:!important; } <\/style>\n<div data-id-acc=\"-1\" class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-7976284b-6850-4f35-824e-1fc55ed8ce78 ablocks-block--single-accordion\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading\"><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-rightSide\"><p class=\"ablocks-block-accordion-title\">Accordion Title 0<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-open\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h384c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-single-accordion-right-side-icon ablocks-block--single-accordion__heading-collapse-icon-off\"><div class=\"ablocks-icon-wrap\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" class=\"ablocks-svg-icon\"><path d=\"M416 208H272V64c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32h-32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v144H32c-17.67 0-32 14.33-32 32v32c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h144v144c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h32c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32V304h144c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-32c0-17.67-14.33-32-32-32z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ablocks-block--single-accordion__body\"><div class=\"wp-block-ablocks-single-accordion ablocks-block--single-accordion__body-content\"><style>.ablocks-block-49e6965c-2717-43cb-a2e9-2d2d1d6e088c { position:relative;transition:border 0s ease,background 0s ease,box-shadow 0s ease; } .ablocks-block-49e6965c-2717-43cb-a2e9-2d2d1d6e088c { text-align:left; } .ablocks-block-49e6965c-2717-43cb-a2e9-2d2d1d6e088c .ablocks-paragraph-text { color:#000000; } .ablocks-block-49e6965c-2717-43cb-a2e9-2d2d1d6e088c .ablocks-paragraph-text-drop-caps::first-letter { color:#0f2aff; } <\/style>\n<div class=\"ablocks-block ablocks-block-49e6965c-2717-43cb-a2e9-2d2d1d6e088c ablocks-block--paragraph\"><p class=\"ablocks-paragraph-text ablocks-paragraph-text-md\">This issue is particularly relevant in light of the ongoing expansion of the A100 urban motorway in eastern Berlin &#8211; a project still based on century-old plans dating back to 1910. Despite decades of research into traffic management, urban planning and climate change, the Berlin Senate continues to push ahead with this mega-project, which experts warn will not reduce congestion, but instead encourage more car traffic. In addition, the new section &#8211; particularly the controversial 17th phase &#8211; will once again cut through intact neighborhoods, displacing residents, businesses and cultural spaces. The redundancy of this extension is striking: with Berlin&#8217;s recent budget cuts halting most investment in public transport, cycling infrastructure and climate-friendly transport alternatives, doubling down on car infrastructure seems increasingly out of step with the city&#8217;s long-term sustainability goals. Rather than solving mobility problems, the A100 extension risks becoming an expensive relic of outdated planning ideals.&nbsp;<br><br>We debate these thoughts while standing under the looming concrete landing of Schlangenbader Tunnel, a structure soon to be torn down, causing dust and noise in the neighborhood for at least two years. And then what? The demolition will close one tear in the urban fabric, but the ongoing A100 extension to the east threatens to open a new one. As the city dismantles parts of its past, it continues to build new infrastructure that divides neighborhoods and perpetuates car-centric planning, repeating the same mistakes in the name of progress.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5161-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-973\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5161-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5161-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5161-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5161-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5161-2-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5161-2-16x12.jpg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-senff-sticky-block\" data-topspace=\"5\" data-cfa=\"true\" data-minwidth=\"0\" data-maxwidth=\"99999\" data-pushup=\"#visual\" data-zindex=\"1\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"644\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/big_map_-1024x644.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/big_map_-1024x644.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/big_map_-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/big_map_-768x483.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/big_map_-1536x966.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/big_map_-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/big_map_.jpg 1957w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"visual\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A visual exploration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:66.76971%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"975\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4120-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4120-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4120-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:33.23029%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"976\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4124-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4124-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4124-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"977\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4125-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4125-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4125-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33333%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"978\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4128-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4128-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4128-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33333%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"979\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4131-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4131-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4131-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33333%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"980\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4132-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4132-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4132-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"981\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4135-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4135-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4135-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"982\" data-link=\"https:\/\/tarde.info\/redundant-infrastructures\/img_4140-2\/\" data-url=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4140-2.heic\" src=\"http:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_4140-2.heic\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Handbook references<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[1] Amin A. (2014) Lively infrastructure.&nbsp;<em>Theory, Culture &amp; Society<\/em>&nbsp;31(7\u20138): 137\u2013161.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260413171416\/https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0263276414548490\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0263276414548490<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[2] El-Enany, N. (2019) Race, law and the air we breathe. Paper presented at Contemporary Conversations: Carceral Continuum, Nottingham Contemporary.<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260413171416\/https:\/\/eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nottinghamcontemporary.org%2Fwhats-on%2Fcontemporary-conversation-carceral-continuum%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7Cl.rondel%40gold.ac.uk%7Ce4c2644c05554ffd516708d8d7e883dc%7C0d431f3f20c1461c958a46b29d4e021b%7C0%7C0%7C637496740941428747%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=oh3f3yVPoLalMfuJcyTq0HHVk%2FqHloyVYzEtI%2FQE0hA%3D&amp;reserved=0\">https:\/\/www.nottinghamcontemporary.org\/whats-on\/contemporary-conversation-carceral-continuum\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[3] Evans, A. (2024)&nbsp;<em>Road As: A journey up the A13, against the A13<\/em>. Printed at Rabbit\u2019s Road Press: London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[4] Lowbridge, C. (2025) Snake Pass: Could famous road close to cars?.&nbsp;BBC.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260413171416\/https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c5yrnz5wxgko\">https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c5yrnz5wxgko<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[5] Rondel, L. (2024).&nbsp;\u2018Fighting for breath\u2019: Inhabiting uninhabitable places.&nbsp;<em>European Journal of Cultural Studies<\/em>.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260413171416\/https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/13675494241284639\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/13675494241284639<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[6] Rondel, L., and Henneke, L. (2024). Walking the (infrastructural) line: Mobile and embodied explorations of infrastructures and their impact on the urban landscape.&nbsp;<em>Sociological Research Online<\/em>.<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260413171416\/https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/13607804241247713\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/13607804241247713<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[7] Neimanis A and Phillips P (2019) Postcards from the underground.&nbsp;<em>Journal of Public Pedagogies: WalkingLab<\/em>&nbsp;4: 127\u2013139.<br><br>[8] Mills CW (1959)&nbsp;<em>The Sociological Imagination<\/em>. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Louise Rondel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Laura Henneke&nbsp;prepared this issue. Photos:&nbsp;Laura Henneke y \u00c1lvaro M\u00e1rquez Fern\u00e1ndez.&nbsp; Editor\u2019s note: This number resulted from an ethnographic exercise led by Laura Henneke and Louise Rondel, in which a group of ten people explored the socio-material entanglements and contradictions of a car-centered infrastructure in Berlin. After such a fantastic walk, we decided to turn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"redundant","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[113,112,109,111,110],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-alternative-futures","tag-failure","tag-infrastructure","tag-obsolescence","tag-urban-redundancy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/main_issue-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1095,"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions\/1095"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tarde.info\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}