Building and art: a new mural on the banks of the Spree

Building and art make a good fit. That’s why BUWOG has a long tradition of creating works of art and supporting artists. Berlin is now one artwork richer.

In many of BUWOG’s entryways, developments, outdoor facilities and stairwells there are works of art of various kinds, from paintings to installations and photography to light art. There is also plenty of art to discover in the BUWOG offices themselves. BUWOG has always been present and involved in the cultural environment, not least as a sponsor of the Berlin Festival of Lights, the Art Dinner, and art auctions for a worthy cause. The theme of “building and art” has been expanded upon to now include a project in Berlin.

200 metres of an open-air artwork

A new mural has been created directly on the river Spree in Niederschöneweide, adjacent to the BUWOG WOHNWERK development. Artist Tomislav Topic created this painting titled “Fluxa Stratis” over 11 days in July 2024. He used an approximately 200-metre-long section of the imposing embankment wall provided for this purpose.

Known for his colourful in-situ installations, façade designs and abstract murals, in the tradition of mid-century abstract painting, Tomislav Topic focuses on colour and form as the primary content of his work. The Fluxa Stratis mural features silhouette-like overlaps and interlaced colour surfaces, whose starting point is in the complementary contrast of blue and BUWOG’s orange logo colour.

Tomislav Topic: “The overriding credo for all of my murals and installations is that the works are site-specific. This means I didn’t have a finished composition in mind or a sketch from the outset, but that the work was actually gradually created on location. This way of working allows me to absorb the characteristics of the site and get a sense of the architecture, light, colours, shapes and materials of the surroundings.”

A raft as an atelier

The realisation of the mural on the embankment wall itself proved to be a particular challenge. Sketches and paintings were made from a movable raft of connected pontoons. The floating construction had to be manoeuvred along the wall again and again and securely stowed. To view the progress of the work, the artist repeatedly swam out into the centre of the river to capture the image in its entirety.

Vom Floß aus wird das Kunstwerk gestaltet

This process was also followed by the trades involved on the construction site and, of course, the local residents, who were able to experience the progressive creation of the large-scale artwork with curiosity and amazement. Daniel Riedl, member of the Management Board of Vonovia SE responsible for BUWOG operations in Austria and BUWOG development in Germany: “Art has an important meaning for BUWOG. Art in public spaces invites people to rediscover their surroundings; art can generate dialogue and create identity. In our new construction projects and BUWOG’s neighbourhood developments, this is a key factor for the creation of high-quality residential environments.”

Whether approaching by boat, crossing the Spree over one of the nearby bridges, or allowing your gaze to wander from the opposite bank: the approximately 525-square-metre work of art is visible from afar and can be experienced by everyone. Tomislav Topic: “Although I only work with a few basic colours, there are many hundreds of different shades on the wall that result from mixing during application and from glazed overpainting. That’s because I work wet on wet, so that the fresh colours blend to create new colour values on the wall.”

Those who would like to embark on a discovery tour will find the mural in Berlin in the Treptow-Köpenick district, between the Treskow Bridge and Kaisersteg Bridge on the southern embankment. Link to Google Map