BERLIN TEMPELHOF - fun airport in bw

who, in their right mind, would ever want to go to an airport just for the fun of it? the fun-loving, outdoor-minded citizens of berlin.

 

see, a major historical figure who also happened to be western history’s largest prick, one fine day in the 1920s called his guys and said: ok, i want an airport. i want it huge and monumental with grand architecture. i also want it right in the middle of the city of berlin. oh, don’t worry about the houses and the factories and the warehouses in the neighborhood. in about twenty years’ time i will arrange it so they will be bombed out of existence…

 

berlin tempelhof airport was built.

 

exit the imperial prick with his delusions. exit also the aeroplanes, although several years later, and only a few years ago. then tear down the surrounding fences and let the city take back the wide open, windswept spaces. this is what you get.

 

 

 

 

where in the world can you fly your toy airplane in a real airport while enjoying a smoke at the same time? in berlin: if you just head to tempelhof.

 

 

 

 

learning to fly a classic kite in a decommissioned airport. the family sits on concrete airfield markers, which usefully double as benches.

 

 

 

 

smoking is permitted in all areas of tempelhof airport. heck, this buch of youngsters even brought a large shisha (hookah) pipe onto the green.

 

 

 

 

the original airstrip graphics are still around. the airstrips themselves are the real reason most people head out to tempelhof in their free time.

 

 

 

 

long, wide, smooth and perfectly horizontal surfaces. throw in a friend who’s willing to tow, and it’s pure bliss.

 

 

 

 

low tech high speed. young berliners rolling along at quite a clip.

 

 

 

 

the airstrips are so wide, that this windskater was actually riding across, rather than along, the width of the tarmac.

 

 

 

 

there seem not to be too many limits to what you can do at tempelhof airport. and certainly no speed limits.

 

 

 

 

the more spectacular activities involve young-ish berliners strapping wheeled contraptions to their feet and harnessing large, flying sails to their upper bodies. the rest is one big doppler effect.

 

 

 

 

in the background, tempelhof’s massive, massive semi-circular terminal buiding, now apparently in state of near abandon.

 

 

 

 

one area is reserved for the barbecues, and all kind of sausages get their fair share of grilling. a rental outfit will equip you with pedal-propelled vehicles in any number of wheels. in the backgroud, two chopper-style tricycles.

 

 

 

 

the kids’ playground area. the best part is that the kids get to build it themselves, under the guidance and supervision of an adult, entirely out of recycled scrap lumber.

 

 

 

 

whoever is behind this massive wooden ferris wheel under construction obviously has blind faith in his own building abilities.

 

 

 

 

artistic installations of gargantuan proportions decorate one end of tempelhof.

 

 

 

 

as well as the playground for the kids, there is even a smaller playground complete with sandbox and scrap wood figures near the area dedicated to the vegetable patches. how is any of this not to be loved?

 

 

photographs taken in june 2012.

 

for some color imagery from this same, incredible place, you can visit my last post.

 

alessandro ciapanna