Leipziger Platz is instantly recognizable by its distinct octagonal shape, a geometric plan laid out by architect Philipp Gerlach in seventeen thirty-four. Originally known as the Octogon at Potsdam Gate, it served as a carefully ordered…
Potsdamer Platz Modern Architecture
Walk through the architectural rebirth of Berlin's center, tracing a seamless path from Leipziger Platz's geometric designs, past futuristic skyscrapers, to the modernist masterpieces of the Kulturforum.
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1. Leipziger Platz
2. Panoramapunkt Berlin
The Panoramapunkt sits at the summit of the Kollhoff Tower, a high-rise building with a distinct dark brick facade at Potsdamer Platz. Reaching one hundred meters in height, this observation deck offers a panoramic view across the city,…
3. Bahntower
The Bahntower rises one hundred three meters above the Potsdamer Platz, a twenty-six-story vertical block of glass and steel that anchors the eastern edge of the complex. Designed by architect Helmut Jahn and completed in the year two…
4. Das Center am Potsdamer Platz
A spectacular tent-like roof of fabric panels, suspended sixty-seven meters high by steel rods, marks the center of this complex. Known as Das Center am Potsdamer Platz, this arrangement of eight buildings opened in the year two thousand…
5. Philharmonie Berlin
The Philharmonie Berlin is easy to spot by its bright yellow, asymmetrical exterior that resembles a sweeping, golden tent. Completed in nineteen sixty-three, this concert hall was designed by architect Hans Scharoun to replace the city’s…
6. Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
The Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin on Potsdamer Straße is recognizable by its expansive, terraced massing and a windowless, copper-clad central volume often described as a ship of books. Designed by architect Hans Scharoun and his colleague…
7. New National Gallery
The Neue Nationalgalerie is defined by a massive, square steel roof that appears to float above a fully glazed pavilion. This elevated structure, supported by only eight slender columns, stands on a granite plinth and was designed by the…