Funkytown
The Next Episode
WWelcome to Funkytown. The new creative quarter, which overlooks the Spree, Plänterwald, and the neighbouring Funkhaus in Nalepastraße as well as the city skyline, stands for the revitalization of a legendary East German spot: For almost 30 years, the GDR youth radio station DT64 broadcast culture and hits, debates and art into the homes of an entire generation from BLOCK-E on Rummelsburger Landstraße.
BLOCK-E — a place with memories and emotions. It will remain and form the heart of Funkytown. In addition, eight modern buildings will be constructed over the next few years, which will be home to culture, education, accommodation, and social facilities. Eight new STATIONS, infinite reach.
Size
10,500 m² GFA
ESG strategy
DGNB certification
Use
Office, co-working, studio, atelier, café
Completion
Q3 / 2025
Size
38,500 m² GFA
Use
Office, studio, education, culture, atelier, accomodation, retail, café, sport, creative craftsmanship, kindergarten
Completion
2028
I Follow Rivers
TThe area around Nalepastraße is familiar to all former GDR citizens and has gained an emotional significance over the decades. People have been living culture, making music and working creatively in the Funkhaus for half a century.
The urban energy is framed by the Spree and Bullenbruch island, where many trees skirt the water and lean into it.
Funkytown already has all this in its name: Awakening, rhythm, and radio history on the one hand – people, change and metropolis on the other. When mental groove and metropolitan lifestyle come together, your gaze wanders not only to the skyline of Berlin, but beyond it. There is more beyond the horizon.
- Developments
- Education
- Culture
- Culinary
- Daily Needs
- Traffic
- Developments
- Education
- Culture
- Culinary
- Daily Needs
- Traffic
Numerous train and bus lines run from these public transport hubs throughout Berlin and into Brandenburg. In addition, the on-demand BVG service Muva is available in theTreptow-Köpenick district.
It is also possible to travel to the quarter individually at any time using share cars, scooters or bikes.
Remember tomorrow
TThe story of BLOCK-E is fascinating, starting in the 1960s when it was constructed as a way to make more space for broadcasting and production rooms for several East German radio stations. Among them DT64, which became a symbol of East German identification and referred to itself as the “Power of the Eastside”. Funkytown is where we are creating a place that lives from history and builds on it, that creates something new from memory: a city that pours the inside into the outside. Appreciative, connecting, and vibrant.
DMemory is internal, personal, and individual. Every memory is different, sometimes flourishing, sometimes fragile, sometimes growing, sometimes fading, but always essential. We want to remember, to preserve images, thoughts, and stories. To this end, we are creating a place that lives from history and builds on it, that creates something new from memory: a city that pours the inside into the outside. Appreciative, connecting, and vibrant: Funkytown.
The story of BLOCK-E is fascinating, starting in the 1960s when it was constructed as a way to make more space for broadcasting and production rooms for several East German radio stations.
In May of 1964, the German Youth Rally broadcast continuously for 99 hours straight, securing its cult status and establishing itself
as the voice of East Germany’s youth overnight. What was later known as DT64 became a symbol of East German identification.
The youth radio station referred to itself as the “Power of the Eastside” – and thus a movement was born. Until the wall came down, shows like Hitglobus, Mischmasch, and Dr. Kaos were key components of the daily programming.
The DT64 hit caravan was still touring Germany in 1991, having embarked on a mission to rescue the station after the fall of the Berlin Wall. A large, emotional wave of protests in the east and west brought people together and continues to do so to this day. In October 1991, superstar David Bowie came to Berlin to fight for the station – without success. The end of the station in mid-1993, with the renaming to Sputnik and the move to Halle, left behind an enormous empty space in the hearts of an entire generation.
WOne thing that is easily forgotten in all the East German nostalgia: BLOCK-E has been empty for exactly as long as it has been in use. Its neglect is also part of its history. "Wende" kids only associate the cult site with a skeleton of ruins and only know the spirit from YouTube documentaries. It is time for transformation. Funkytown should therefore build on identity and create a new one, filling the empty concrete with new stories. Generation Berlin is international and creative, thinks fast and digitally, shows awareness and attitude. Funkytown shares these values and opens its doors – for the experienced, the innovators, for North, South, East, and West.
New Kiez on
the Block
DBuilt in the early 1960s, the reinforced concrete building is a classic that still arouses the interest of Brutalism fans. The five-storey block is not only imposing from afar, but there are also treasures of history waiting inside: the raw concrete remains deliberately untouched, even graffiti from the past decades has been preserved, giving it its honest character. The spacious existing building forms the basis for a modern vibe in unusually cool surroundings. Combined with new materials, glazed fronts and a contemporary interior, the former news and foreign policy department will be transformed into innovative work lofts.
Those who work here create reach and breathe German history – architecturally too. The striking supports, previously leading elements for narrow hallways, give structure to the gutted floors and allow for flexible use.
The view of the green surroundings or the Funkhaus help find balance in the daily routine, as do the gastronomic offerings on the first floor, and the shared roof terrace with sunrise and sunsets included. Can you rethink a classic? Yes, by making it an icon.
NFollowing the refurbishment of BLOCK-E, the focus shifts to something new. The eight modern STATIONS will be used for a variety of purposes: from art, culture, education, entertainment, accommodation, and social facilities to restaurants, co-working and retail spaces. In the spirit of a diverse campus, each STATION will be planned and individually designed by a different Berlin architectural firm according to the urban planning concept of KSP Engel Berlin. KSP Engel will coordinate and design the central building of the eight stations.
NFollowing the refurbishment of BLOCK-E, the focus shifts to something new. The eight modern STATIONS will be used for a variety of purposes: from culture, education, accommodation, and social facilities to restaurants, co-working and retail space. The T of DT64 stands for meeting and is also embedded in the Town concept. The arrangement of old buildings and innovation, BLOCK-E and STATIONS is designed to promote dialogue: cultural and social hubs are created in the outdoor areas, open to the outside and inside ... for people to feel, talk, dance, and meet. To ensure that this diversity is also visible to the outside world, it is already part of the architectural concept. Each STATION will be planned and individually designed by a different Berlin architectural firm according to the urban planning concept of KSP Engel Berlin. KSP Engel will coordinate and design the central building of the eight stations. This allows for a creative mix, colorful ideas, and funk in the city.
Take Me to the Place I Love
BBLOCK-E offers the perfect starting point for creating new spaces with plenty of freedom. Entire floors are available or just parts of a gutted floor: flexible use from approx. 370 m² to 9,000 m² is possible, but smaller studios on the first floor are planned too.
What gives all rooms a special atmosphere are the original concrete walls, many windows facing sunrise or sunset and the striking architecture. There is also a restaurant on the ground floor, lots of light from new windows in the basement and a roof terrace intended for working and relaxing.
Nice to Meet You
Letting is on!
Below you can find documents with further information, floor plans and features.
Feel free to send us a message or call our letting team directly:
- Christian Block
- Project Sales Manager
Bright. Broad. Berlin.
