Garden of Cloud and Water
Berlin, Germany
Garden of Cloud & Water is a multi-purpose community garden designed for a Buddhist temple in Berlin. Embracing the East and the West, WYP’s intent is to reflect the fresh, contemporary and interactive approach of modern Buddhism.
Set within Gesundbrunnen of Mitte, one of the most diversified boroughs in Berlin, the 1990’s Buddhist temple is surrounded by residential, offices, large scale industries as well as several cemetery sites. Encompassing the former East & West Germany and having the highest percentage of non-German population in Berlin, the area is the most multicultural part of the city, and its post-war industrial image and low-income level also makes it famous for being edgy, arty, yet upcoming in recent years, therefore it is an intriguing context for a Buddhist temple to evolve. The brief was simple - interesting, multi-purpose, practical to use and easy to maintain.
Inspired by the harmonious coexistence of cloud and water, two infinitively ever-changing elements, the design explores innovative ways of embracing Religion and Community, West and East, Nature and Mankind. To celebrate the multi-cultural city of Berlin, the garden is designed to accommodate various types of culture, arts and community activities in addition to Buddhism practices. Here, a unique user experience is generated by integrating traditional Chinese garden-making with modern western landscape design.
