The future of the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin remains the subject of intense conceptual debate. As the responsible state-owned Tempelhof Projekt GmbH announced, a comprehensive development plan for the listed airport building is expected by 2027.
Due to its sheer size—with forty-one building sections, approximately seven thousand rooms, and a gross floor area of three hundred thousand square meters—this enormous structure represents one of the most complex real estate projects in the German capital. Following the completion of the current planning and workshop phases, the Berlin Senate is expected to decide on the next steps next year, allowing for the concrete construction and infrastructure work to begin in 2028. The project aims to transform the historic site into an urban meeting place, but faces significant technical, financial, and historic preservation challenges that hinder the rapid revitalization of the vacant land.
The logistical and technical dimensions of the listed building
The sheer size of the building complex, designed by Ernst Sagebiel in the 1930s, severely limits its development potential. Many parts of the building have stood empty since flight operations ceased in 2008, or are only used temporarily for events. Renovating such a monumental structure requires considerable financial resources, which must be generated from the state budget as well as potential rental income. The structural condition of many rooms is dilapidated, and contaminated sites, pollutants in the building materials, and outdated building services further hinder any timely repurposing.
The head of the real estate department at Tempelhof Projekt GmbH emphasized that, at this stage, they are deliberately refraining from developing finalized architectural or conversion designs. Before concrete plans can be drawn up, the legal, structural, and historic preservation requirements for each of the forty-one building components must first be analyzed individually. Historic preservation is of paramount importance in this project, as the building is one of the few completely preserved monumental structures from the National Socialist era and is of international architectural significance. Every structural alteration, be it the installation of modern ventilation systems, accessibility improvements, or fire safety measures, must be coordinated with the historic preservation authorities of the State of Berlin, which, based on experience, extends the planning timeline.
Expert workshops and public involvement
To develop viable usage scenarios, the state-owned company is employing a multi-stage review process. Between 2025 and 2027, a total of seven workshops will take place, in which experts from the fields of architecture, urban planning, sociology, and economics will develop the foundations for the development concept. These expert panels will examine, among other things, which economic sectors and institutions can be permanently integrated into the seven thousand spaces to ensure the long-term refinancing of ongoing operating costs. Purely museum-like use of the entire complex is considered economically unfeasible due to the immense maintenance costs.
Alongside the expert dialogues, the operating company is attempting to involve the Berlin public in the process to ensure acceptance of the major project. At an information event in the airport's visitor center in early July 2026, interested citizens had the opportunity to learn about the current status of the studies. Public participation is considered a sensitive issue in Berlin, as the use of the adjacent Tempelhof Field was heavily regulated by a 2014 referendum, and construction along the edges of the open space is prohibited. Even though the current concept primarily concerns the airport building itself, citizens' initiatives are observing every development at the site with skepticism in order to prevent the area's increasing commercialization.
Usage visions in the tension between culture and economy
The official vision for Tempelhof Airport envisions the creation of a vibrant and diverse meeting place. Plans include flexible usage options that will provide space for creative exchange, art projects, experimental formats, and neighborhood initiatives. Parts of the building are already leased to the Berlin police, start-up companies, and cultural institutions. The future overall concept aims to further systematize this mix of public institutions, creative businesses, and commercial enterprises.
However, critics from Berlin's state politics and real estate sector point out that the administrative implementation of such visions often falls short of expectations. Coordination between the various Senate departments, the historic preservation offices, and the project company is considered cumbersome. Furthermore, there is a risk that the ambitious plans for a cosmopolitan meeting place will fail due to the actual renovation costs. If the public sector cannot shoulder the investment alone, the integration of private investors will be unavoidable. This, in turn, could lead to conflicts with the goal of primarily community-oriented and neighborly use, as private actors expect a corresponding return on their invested capital. The Senate's final decision in 2027 will reveal how the balance between cultural aspirations and fiscal realities will be struck.