05 Juni 2012

Today we covered a good bit about the history of Berlin and the wall. I never knew how much of an impact the wall had/still has on this city, but it is pretty profound. Even though the wall no longer stands, the people and the landscape of Berlin are still very aware of what once was. You can still catch locals referring to it as the former east and west of the city. Even the pipes close to the wall cannot run underground because of the severe rupture the wall caused to the ground. The Berlin Wall is a very significant point of Berlin’s history and probably always will be.

 We spent part of our day in Pariser Platz, which once served as the main plaza of East Berlin. It is where the Brandenburg Gate stands as well. Even though the gate serves no actually purpose anymore, it serves as a strong visual for the past division between East and West Berlin.

One of my favorite things about this trip so far is being able to experience the architecture I have learned about in class. To be able to see architecture that we have studied in person, to be able to run my hands along the walls and the columns of these spaces, to know that I am standing inside some of the most famous buildings in the world, that’s amazing. Works by Frank Gehry, Mies van der Rohe, Renzo Piano, etc. You can’t beat that.

We saw Frank Gehry’s DZ Bank today, which I really enjoyed. Its central space is quite impressive. I like how rigorous Gehry kept the space, with the exception of the huge blob in the atrium. The office spaces and windows are all repetitive, making the unpredictable blob even more interesting when registered against such control.

Also saw the Philharmonie, Renzo Piano’s Debis Building, and Mies van der Rohe’s National Galerie, along with numerous other buildings.