Berlin East-West

Berlin is the only European city to have two centres: City West around Zoologischer Garten station and Alexanderplatz in the East.
With Kurfürstendamm, the legendary KaDeWe department store and the new Bikini House complex, City West is perceived as the city’s elegant shopping district. Meanwhile at Alexanderplatz, three high rises are under construction, a uniquely alternative project to the usual property developments shows the courage to break new ground and buildings of the formerly unloved GDR modernism are also experiencing a new appreciation. The tour explains the political und urban history of the two areas, it’s famous train stations and the current perspectives on architecture and urban development.

HIGHLIGHTS
Two Centers – Two Narratives Urban planning ideals as political statements
Aiming high at Alexanderplatz Vertical densification in East Berlin’s former centre
Rebuilding and Renewal in City West Architectural models between postwar modernism and contemporary use