In this ongoing series, we aim to give you a travel guide to cities around the globe — with an architectural twist. These tours offer chances to experience great design that ranges from traditional tourist hot spots to hidden gems within the world’s metropolises. After New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Havana and Rio de Janeiro, we head across the Atlantic to one of the jewels of Europe: Berlin.
Via Meros
Catch a concert at: Berliner Philharmoniker by Hans Scharoun,Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1
Designed by German architect Hans Scharoun, the Berlin Philharmonic concert hall is formally and conceptually influenced by music. The organic shapes and brightly colored façade make the building stand out next to neighboring cultural institutions in the Kulturforum neighborhood. Built to project and amplify music in every corner of the room, Scharoun’s dynamic concert hall inspired future performance spaces including Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and the Paris Philharmonic.
Take a tour of: The Reichstagby Foster + Partners, Platz Strasse 1
Foster + Partners revitalized the German seat of government, known as the Reichstag, by adding a glass dome to the iconic 19th-century building. The juxtaposition of the original building — complete with bullet holes and Russian graffiti — and Foster’s contemporary, airy addition makes for a powerful visual statement. Visitors may climb the glass dome to enjoy 360-degree views of Berlin and get an inside look at the center of government.
Go shopping at: Labels 2by HHF Architects, Stralauer Allee
Swiss architecture firm HHF made its mark on the banks of the Spree River with Labels 2, a wave-patterned office building that mirrors the flow of the adjacent water. Inside are showrooms and event spaces for Berlin’s flourishing fashion scene, a must-see during Fashion Week in January. The floor-to-ceiling arched windows remind viewers of traditional atelier design with a modern touch. Labels 2 has been praised for its eco-friendly design; the building is permeated with water tubes from the Spree used as a radiator for heating and cooling. As a result, its overall energy consumption is reduced by an impressive 40 percent.
Immerse yourself in history at: Jewish Museum Berlinby Studio Libeskind, Lindenstrasse 9-14
Studio Libeskind’s boldly designed, emotionally charged Jewish Museum presents the history of Jews in Germany from the fourth century to the present. The zigzagging building is situated next to the original Prussian Court of Justice, which now functions as an entrance to the museum. Visitors pass through the Baroque building into Libeskind’s contemporary extension.
The visit begins with a dramatic, underground Entry Void, from which you can follow three axial paths, each designed to tell a different story of German Jewish life. One leads to the Holocaust Tower, where visitors find themselves at a dead end. The second leads to the Garden of Exile and Emigration, the third leading to the Stair of Continuity. Libeskind has designed a physical experience meant to illicit an emotional and intellectual response in the viewer. No matter your level of familiarity with Jewish history, this museum is a must-see.
Via Wikipedia (Manfred Brückels)
Take a stroll by: Neue Nationalgalerie by Mies van der Rohe, Potsdamer Strasse 50
Designed by the great Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and constructed in 1962, the Neue Nationalgalerie’s innovative design makes it a landmark of German modernism. Currently under refurbishment by David Chipperfield Architects, the building is set to be accompanied by a significant new extension designed by Herzog & de Meuron. We look forward to seeing the finished product in a few years.
Take a reading break at: Philological Library byFoster + Partners, Habelschwerdter Allee
In 2005, Foster + Partners built a library for the Freie Universität (Free University) Department of Philology. Part of its large-scale redesign of the school campus, the new library is known as the “Berlin Brain.” Its brain-like, round glass exterior juxtaposed with a heavy, concrete interior makes for an aesthetically pleasing study spot with plenty of natural light.
Take a tour of: Museum for Architectural Drawingby SPEECH, Christinenstrasse 18a
Russian architecture collective SPEECH, led by designers Sergei Tchoban and Sergey Kuznetsov, designed Berlin’s striking Museum for Architectural Drawing. The four-story museum was built from the shell of a 1948 brewery. Its irregularly stacked concrete volumes are etched with reliefs of architectural drawings meant to celebrate the art of draftsmanship. Built to house the Tchoban collection, the museum features drawings completed in the 18th century up to works by today’s top talents.
Via Wikipedia (Berthold Werner)
Catch an exhibition at: Haus der Kulturen der Welt by Hugh Stubbins, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10
Often referred to as the “pregnant oyster,” the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures) is a contemporary art space with a special focus on non-European cultures. The 1950s structure functioned as a conference center until it was restored by American architect Hugh Stubbins, whose shell-shaped concrete roof makes the building stand out in a city full of art spaces.
© Annie Dalbéra
Via Wikipedia(Jean-Pierre Dalbéra)
Exchange currency at: DZ Bank Building by Frank Gehry, Pariser Platz 3
Frank Gehry’s DZ Bank Building is sited on the centrally located — and historically loaded — Pariser Platz, right in the center of the city. The bank’s simple limestone exterior is outshone by its stunning deconstructivist interior. Gehry added glass ceilings, smooth metal walls and his signature curvy lines to add interest to the central atrium. It was Gehry’s first project in Berlin. He is set to build a residential tower nearby in the Alexanderplatz area.
© DENNIS GILBERT
Step into the past at: Neues Museum by David Chipperfield Architects, Bodestrasse 1-3
Best known as the home of the iconic “Bust of Nefertiti,” the Neues Museum (New Museum) was renovated by David Chipperfield Architects in 2009 after being bombed in the Second World War. The contrast between the original brick structure of the 19th century — designed by architect Friedrich August Stüler — and the contemporary concrete additions makes museum visitors painfully aware of the building’s sorted past.