Downtown Berlin After the Reunification as an Example of Globalised Design

Prahl, Sigrun (2024) Downtown Berlin After the Reunification as an Example of Globalised Design. In: P/References of Design. Cumulus conference proceedings series, 1 . Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Budapest, pp. 117-128. ISBN 978-952-7549-03-5

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Abstract

After the fall of the wall in 1989, the revitalization of the city centre of Berlin, that is located in the former eastern part of the city, became one of the most important directions of the urban planning in Berlin. The leading model of the new planning was called "Critical Reconstruction" of the "European City". That meant reconstruction and maintenance of the street pattern of the 19th century, of the block structure, of the height of the buildings, of stone facades, and of the open spaces. The structure and function of a vivid downtown, that implies mixed-use neighbourhoods, was not rebuilt. There are many similarities between the planning for American downtown areas and Friedrichstraße in Berlin. This is remarkable, because the official directing ideas of the German planning were the "Critical Reconstruction" and the "European City". The reconstruction was not critical. The new downtown does not represent a European city, rather it has many components of American central business districts. Strategies to make our cities more livable have to be developed from the actual social, cultural, and economical situation of the city. In the case of post-wall Berlin, local Stakeholders, architects and citizens had very limited possibilities to influence, improve or even change this globalised design. Therefore, the center of Berlin has led to a mainstream design ignoring present local cultures and needs.

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