Block 2 on Dessauer Straße in Berlin-Kreuzberg (1986–93) exemplifies housing design that embraces socio-cultural diversity in both concept and built form. It also embodies a commitment to planning and construction processes that ensure women's equal participation—principles championed by groups like the Feminist Organisation of Planners and Architects (FOPA) since 1981. Within this increasingly progressive movement in architecture and urban policy, architects including Zaha Hadid, Myra Warhaftig, and Christine Jachmann realized their vision of liberatory housing on Dessauer Straße as part of IBA Berlin 1987.

For this exhibition, curators Océane Vé-Réveillac and Silja Glomb have gathered narratives from the architects, activists, and residents—both historical and contemporary—who shaped this story. Drawings, models, documents, and correspondence interweave with interviews and visual art to create a layered spatial narrative. Dessauer Straße explores the rich diversity of liberatory architecture and living practices since the early 1980s, while also posing urgent questions about how we can build—and continue to build—housing that is affordable, pluralistic, and socially just.

German Architecture Centre DAZ
Wilhelmine-Gemberg-Weg 6, 10179 Berlin
Wednesday–Sunday, 3–8 p.m.
through February 16, 2025

www.daz.de