After Tempelhof Airport closed in 2008 the government deliberated over what to do with the sizeable space and eventually decided to, well, do nothing much at all. I can't decide whether this was incredibly un-german, in its impracticality and wastefulness, or entirely German, in doing exactly the opposite of what we would expect of them and thinking it a great joke. This decision does seem extraordinary. The Tempelhof site takes up a massive chunk of the city, and I'm sure there were no shortage of suggestions on what could be done with the space. But it does present some unique possibilities. It is a weird and memorable feeling to stand at the top of the runway looking down, especially one with such a history. The airport, built under Hitler and the site of the famous airlift of the late 40s, is frequented these days mostly by rollerbladers, kite flyers, model airplane enthusiasts, and community gardeners. The space is also sometimes used for exhibitions and festivals, including the Berlin Festival earlier this year. I had a weird fascination with the huge, fascist architecture of the airport, so cold and unsettling. I actually used to like going down there just to feel a bit spooked. Ultimately, I think, the unparalleled feeling of being in such a huge, flat, empty space in a city like Berlin makes me glad of the slightly eccentric and unfashionable decision to do nothing.
