Mayor lays foundation stone for SENFTE 10
22.05.2025
On Tuesday, 20 May 2025, Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, together with District Mayor Nadja Zivkovic and other members of the Senate and district office, laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the ‘SENFTE 10’ youth leisure facility.
The ceremony marked the end of an all-day visit to the district, with which the Berlin Senate emphasised its appreciation for the dynamic development of Marzahn-Hellersdorf: After the regular Senate meeting and an exchange with the district office at Schloss Biesdorf, the route first led to the ‘Haus der Zukunft am ukb’ before arriving at the site at Senftenberger Straße 10 at around 1.15 pm.
For KIDS & CO, the independent organisation that runs the facility, this day marks the start of a new construction phase that has been a long time in the making. For over 25 years, ‘SENFTE 10’ has been a fixture for sports and culture-loving children and young people in the large housing estate: from free hire of skateboards, inline skates, scooters and protective equipment to a repair workshop, billiards, table football, a fitness room and various other activities such as graffiti, cooking, etc., the centre offers a wide range of leisure activities and self-organisation options - complemented by the neighbouring skate park on Beerenpfuhlgraben, which has also been newly built.
The building, which was constructed in 1989 and has been operated as a youth leisure facility by KIDS & CO since 1997, was extensively renovated in 2009/10 with funds from the Urban Redevelopment East programme. However, with around 1,000 regular and occasional users per year, it had long since reached its limits. A new 770 m² timber building with a pitched roof has now been added to the existing building to create an energy-efficient building. A circumferential wooden façade gives the old and new buildings a uniform character, while inside, a ring-shaped facility and a spacious foyer create new recreation and exercise areas. The planning developed by Schwind & Wolf Architektenpartnerschaft consistently focuses on sustainability: the reuse of load-bearing components, deconstructable timber materials, green roof, night cooling, external sun protection, electricity from photovoltaics and district heating minimise energy requirements. A retention roof, together with the neighbouring Bärenpfuhlgraben, ensures modern rainwater management.
The project is being financed by federal and state of Berlin urban development funds and the client is the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district authority. The extension fits into the newly created ‘Stadtgut Hellersdorf’ neighbourhood, where the state-owned housing association GESOBAU has built around 1,500 affordable flats. In addition to urgently needed living space, a contemporary, sports-orientated meeting place is being created where young people can actively organise their leisure time, develop their talents and take on social responsibility.
The time capsule presented by the mayor, Senate representatives, the district office and the sponsors at the foundation stone ceremony marks the beginning of a new era of leisure activities at the Hellersdorf estate. KIDS & CO is grateful for the constructive and needs-based implementation of the construction project and looks forward to working with children, young people, neighbours and all project partners to further develop a lively, open place for leisure activities.