Page 35 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Winter 2021-2022

BERLIN’S CITY OF TOMORROW ENJOYS RENEWED POPULARITY
A COLD WAR BUILDING BATTLE PRODUCES ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST NEIGHBOURHOODS OF MODERN DESIGN
By Karen Burshtein
n a cold but sunny January morning O Imeetarchitecturalhistorianand tour guide, David Varnold, on a corner of Berlin’s most popular inner-city park, the Tiergarten. We walk through a bustling and graffitied underpass then emerge in front of an expanse of green grass, and an extraordinary collection of modernist apartment buildings, and single-
family homes.
Together, this somewhat hidden archi-
tectural treasure chest, built on the burnt and bombed-out ruins of the Berlin neigh- bourhood known as the Hansaviertel, might just be the greatest outdoor museum of the mid-20th century.
For a modern architecture enthusiast like myself it feels a little like entering Oz. The first building we see is a C-shaped con- crete apartment with noticeably narrow sides where curved façades seem to wave us into the neighbourhood. Colourful, sail-like vaulted balustrades appear to be puffed out by the wind, contributing to the liveliness of the façade that sets the uplifting tone to this neighbourhood.
TOP: The urban landscape of Berlin has the Tiergarten pictured in the foreground. The public park is considered the most popular inner-city park in the capital. visitBerlin/Wolfgang Scholvien BOTTOM LEFT: The work of art known as “Hand with Clock” is by the sculptor Joachim Schmettau. The bronze sculpture is located in the Hansaviertel in front of the Tiergarten grammar school. visitBerlin/Angela Kröll BOTTOM RIGHT: The Studentendorf Schlachtensee is part of a student village built between 1959 and 1964, located in southwest Berlin. The architecture is listed as a heritage building. visitBerlin/Mila
WINTER 2021/2022 DREAMSCAPES 35