POTSDAMER PLATZ 1991 COMPETITION

Potsdamer Platz is the result of exten- WINNING ENTRY sive competitions, designs and plan- ning. In 1990, Germany launched a The competition attracted 17 interna- master plan competition for Berlin in tional entries, including star architects order to obtain a comprehensive basis Richard Rogers and Daniel Libeskind. and to set a vision for further designs. It was decided by a jury composed of city planners, council representatives The context of the brief was a time and architects. when ‘the critical reconstruction’ method prevailed in Berlin. Hans The competition was won by Mu- Stimmann (the director for housing nich-based Hilmer-Sattler with a plan and construction in Berlin, the main for compact, 35m high blocks and architect of the city in 1999-2008) dense street plan. They argued against spoke about stringent aesthetic and large single buildings put up by indi- environmental requirements. vidual property owners and purpose- fully omitted an indoor shopping mall. “To all architects working Their plan was very much in the spirit in the city, including famous ones, of ‘critical reconstruction’. were given the strict conditions: new buildings should be included into the However Rem Koolhaas (a judge context. Though ‘star architects’ creat- described their plan as ‘a reactionary, ed many utopian projects for Berlin, provincial, and amateurish urban con- which suited only for architectural ception’. At the same time, the main albums. We have called our approach investors wanted spectacular architec- ‘the critical reconstruction’, that is ture. Since Daimler-Benz owned most restoration, although much buildings of the property around Potsdamer were rebuilt.” Platz, their urban design by Renzo Pi- ano ultimately, and primarily, shaped The original brief triggered debate be- the new development. tween deconstructionists (who want- ed the scars of history to become the The result is an area divided between primary feature of the city’s landscape) five radiating streets referring to the and traditionalists (who wanted to site’s historic arrangement and accen- escape the city’s scars completely). tuated its forefront by high-rise towers. Daniel Libeskind is a deconstruc- The presence of skyscrapers was to tionist. He argued that traditionalist testify a city’s importance on the global attempts reflected a vision of a city ‘not arena - and influenced by investors. suited for today or for tomorrow’. The rest of the buildings were broken Libeskind believes: into blocks with a maximum height of THE BRIEF 35m, referring to the historical urban “Berlin is a new city. It is not 1870, blocks - as per Hilmer-Sattler’s original “A recreation of a mixed use design that would function as a bridge between East and West Berlin, a new centre, consisting of 1910 or 1930. It is post-war and we ‘winning’ design. Clearly the competi- retrieved character of pre-war urban life with traditional block pattern, spaces to stroll and relax. A place of high visual quality have a new economy and a new un- tion entry designs were compromised for staging public life that citizens could identify with.” derstanding of cities”. over time. DANIEL LIBESKIND

Polish-born and German by adoption, Daniel Libeskind initially studied mu- sic before turning his focus to architec- ture. He studied at the Cooper Union in New York, under John Hejduk, and History and Theory of Architecture at Essex University.

‘Micromegas’ is one of his first works, in which he redefines the parameters for knowledge of the world and dis- places vision via parallel planes. Many of his designs are not autonomous, and live as a sequence. In each of them you can read the continuation of the pre- vious, or the depth or even a different view of the same subject.

He first came to Berlin in 1987 when he won the competition for a housing project for the International Building Exhibition in West Berlin (never built). He believes both east and west were hungry for a future of the entire Berlin society as a better, enlightened, ideal, or even revolutionary, tomorrow.

Libeskind is very passionate about Berlin. On arrival he was keen to see the many kinds of Modernist struc- tures. He says:

“What makes Berlin such a great city, that it has always been a modern city since the very beginning”.

He describes himself as an architect who is aware of history and incorpo- rates it into his work. He acknowledges that he is part of an ongoing dialogue. Libeskind thinks the era of rebuilding structures of the past has now passed, because going back in history has nev- er really worked – anywhere. “It is not chaos; it is an order of a different kind.” Daniel Libeskind SPATIAL CONSIDERATIONS

BROADER CONTEXT traces to the light. His plan was that of a fractured star or broken glass. How- Traditionalists argued that Berlin ever it could be seen from the plastic should be ‘critically reconstructed’ ac- model that it was a design following a cording to the 19th century city-block dual nature: the crossing over of lines and street pattern. Axel Schultes, for of overlapping of layers. example, contended that any redevel- opment should reflect Berlin’s archi- It was impossible to reconstruct the tectural traditions, specifically ‘the demolished fabric of the city: the only solid and Prussian approach’ to urban solution was a dialectical overlaying of planning. Daniel Libeskind regarded buildings like trajectories that fit one such sentiments as ‘reactionary’. To into the other with alternating vertical Libeskind, and other deconstructionist sections. architects, the proposed architectural models of the traditionalists were: However, the constraints of the brief and presence of German Democratic “At best like a thirties boulevard in Republic buildings was strong and Milan or Madrid, at worst like a Ger- urged Libeskind towards a difficult -di man military parade street”. alogue. There was a battle to be waged Rudolf Stegner against nostalgic historicism and the blank slate of totalitarianism: effective- Libeskind’s opinion was supported by ly he was stuck between a rock and a Rem Koolhaas, for whom the beauty of hard place. the German capital lay in these major areas of ‘nothingness’, which were left INSPIRATION by the European history, making it the most contemporary and avant-garde of Kafka’s The Castle is a novel which all cities. broke down all real referents, dissolv- ing the ties of time and place. With its For deconstructionists, from a spatial many entrances, it reflected the idea of perspective, Berlin’s voids presented a the Jewish city. Libeskind quotes Kaf- provocative lack of imposed logic that ka’s Prague, that of the Jewish ghetto, they valued. Libeskind protested again made up of winding paths and build- traditionalists, saying that Berlin did ings that grew one on top of the other, not need any new order, because it was where K. wandered ‘securely suspend- already a perfectly ordered city. It is ed in the air.’ This imagery can clearly these approaches that are represented be observed in his entry. by his entry for the Potsdamer Platz competition. Another influence was the internal world of painter Marc Chagall, and of THE CASTLE LIBESKIND’S ENTRY the popular fable where houses freed themselves from their tie with the Is a 1926 novel by Franz Kafka. In it a protagonist known only as K. arrives in a village and struggles to gain The architect was seeking the absent earth and in which dream and reality access to the mysterious authorities who govern it from a castle. soul of the city. Berlin allowed him to exchanged roles. describe the invisible and bring hidden SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

BROADER CONTEXT LIBESKIND’S ENTRY

By acknowledging that the memory of If it was not possible to think that the past destruction must be visibly avail- ruins of Potsdamer Platz could decree able to the present, Daniel Libeskind its identity, Libeskind took an alterna- says we can begin to read ‘between tive approach. His design ‘captured the the lines’ and see a different future for angel’ in ‘ten rays of absolute absence’. Berlin and for the public square. Shattered memory became the symbol of this intervention. In his entry, it was Libeskind is very aware of present day these shattered fragments that ruled challenges: the composition, whilst the distinction between building and city disappeared. “You need affordable housing, places for kids and families, more public It is an unfinished mosaic with pieces places”. coming from Paris, Vienna, Venice and Berlin. But importantly the ten He says conservatives argue that an lines intertwin programmes and func- old city was such a good city, that it tions with different uses. In the entry, is much safer to rebuild in that image this included apartments, factories, than to move forward to something markets, hospitals, nursery schools, unknown. But do you really want cemeteries and libraries, all interwo- to have the old city back with all its ven in an anti-zoning plan at different disadvantages that are so easily over- levels of height. looked? Does this actually solve the current challenges? As per the brief, the part of the city still alive is saved. At the same time, In Libeskind’s opinion, if you just the new Potsdamer Platz aimed to follow the old building lines and vol- resolve the economic and cultural divi- umes, you are actually treating the city sion between east and west. A horizon- like a piece of art or a museum that has tal prism dominates the great plan on to stay the same or that was finished at an axis with Parisien Platz: a stranded some point. Effectively, this is ignoring aircraft-carrier suspended in the sky. the social implications and require- ments of modern society. MOVEMENT

The intervention of the Potsdamer Platz competition brief aimed to make an improvement in public space and traffic circulation. An important com- ponent was that history and evolution needed to live together in all aspects. The brief stated that all levels were to be preserved, even the buildings of little architectural value of the German Democratic Republic.

Completing the traffic infrastructure alone foreshadowed just how complex building an entirely new city centre for Berlin would be: the tunnel segments of Federal Highway 96 and Under- ground Line 3 as well as the Intercity Railway Station were built directly underneath Potsdamer Platz. All were important milestones in reintegrating Potsdamer Platz with urban life in Berlin. POTSDAMER PLATZ TODAY

The site covers a total area of SURROUNDING SITES 550,000m², with 175,000m² of office space, 40,000m² retail/catering Today Potsdamer Platz, part of the space, 370 apartments, 130 shops and Tiergarten neighbourhood, is sur- 30 restaurants, cafés and bars. There rounded by a rich collection of cultur- are multiple transport connections, al establishments. These include the including Potsdamer Platz station, the Philharmonie and Chamber Music Airport-Express, E-Mobility options, Hall, bulit in the 1950s and 1960s, the a car2go stand with 16 electric Smart Musicaltheater, and the State Library cars and 8 charging stations. (Staatsbibliothek).

Potsdamer Platz sees 100,000 visitors Modern constructions include The each day, sustains 10,000 jobs and Spielbank (a casino), Debis Tower, and houses 2,500 underground parking a large shopping mall on the former spaces. There are a myriad of hotels, site of the Wertheim department store. including Grand Hyatt and The Man- The Science Center Medizintechnik dala, as well as a host of entertainment is a futuristic curvy building at Eber- options such as the Potsdamer Platz strasse, providing juxtaposition to theatre. Bluemax theatre, Berlin casi- historical sites like St Matthew Church, no, Cinemaxx cinema and Berlin Walk a church near Potsdamer Platz. of Fame.

In terms of sustainability, Potsdamer Platz holds a German Green Build- ing Council (DGNB) certification in silver. There are ventilation and façade systems making use of natural fluctua- tions in light, airflow and temperature.

Reportedly carbon emissions in the district were reduced by 70%, and eco-friendly, non-hazardous con- struction materials used during con- struction. There is a pioneering waste disposal concept which underlines the district’s eco-friendly credentials.

The Potsdamer Platz quarter stands on solid ground and was therefore challenged by soil sealing. A modern concept for sustainable management of water was introduced, and 20 million litres of drinking water are saved each year. TIMELINE

1838 opening of Berlin Potsdamer Railway Station Transformed Potsdamer Platz from a quiet suburbia just outside the city gates to one of Europe’s most bustling neighbourhoods.

1871 founding of the German Empire Potsdamer Platz experienced a significant boom triggered by the construction of large buildings, numerous restaurants and a period of economic upturn.

1920 Potsdamer Platz was Europe’s busiest thoroughfare Commuter trains, the underground, 26 trams and five bus lines pass through. 20,000+ cars & 83,000 travellers were counted every day. Potsdamer Platz is a focal point for middle class entertainment and a society hotspot.

1924 Pentagonal-shaped tower erected. The first traffic light system in Europe; came to symbolise Berlin’s pioneering spirit. Potsdamer Platz was continually changing. Old was torn down to make way for new; Classicism was replaced by the New Objectivity.

1945 the Second World War Potsdamer Platz was almost completely de- stroyed. When the war ended, it became the border triangle where the Soviet, British and American sectors met.

1961 divided by the Berlin Wall No other section of the Wall had such a large area of no man’s land, or ‘death strip’. Every building was demolished and the Iron Curtain reigned supreme for three decades.

1989 the falling of the Berlin Wall Potsdamer Platz immediately began to resume its role as a key urban hub. A road forms a temporary passage between East and West Berlin.

1991 Competition for Reconstruction After the fall of The Berlin Wall it was decided to organise a series of architectural competi- tions for the reconstruction of Berlin centre.

2012 contest projects are completed The actual city centre is shifted to the west. The grid of streets repeats the plan structure of early twentieth century.