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Essay: Berlin transformations
Rem Koolhaas remarked in 2009: “I think that architecture is gone. It’s a very interesting question whether it is gone forever or whether under certain circumstances we can imagine that it will come back. In any case, it is gone for now.”[1] Similarly, a few years earlier, Hans Ibelings, in his critique of supermodernism, argued that contemporary architecture embodies the individualism and superficiality of modern society. Closely linked to globalization and mass consumption, architecture today can be characterized as light, transparent, and ephemeral, often defined by simple geometric forms and glazed facades. It serves the modernization of society, manifesting globalization while rejecting any avant-garde tendencies. Architecture, thus, becomes commodified for economic purposes.[2]
We maintain the view that architecture, as we once understood it, is indeed "gone" for now. We are currently living in an era where “preservation is overtaking us,”[3] as the present fails to provide a reflective architectural identity. Consequently, we turn to the past, seeking spaces that allow for self-discovery and a sense of belonging.
As the present falters, history has become a fertile ground for preservation practices. Jorge Otero-Pailos aptly observes that “preservation is architecture’s saving retreat,” which simultaneously introduces the notion of “preservation as an origin of architecture.”[4] This perspective is crucial in understanding a new Berliner architecture, one that does not merely romanticize decay but uses it as a foundation for “a reassessment of the relationship between architecture and the past.”[5]
Rem Koolhaas echoed this idea in a 2004 conference in Berlin, specifically referencing the Palace of the Republic. He stated: “The fascination for the decayed and the ability to rediscover and exploit the decayed is the first step towards a fundamental reassessment of the relationship between architecture and the past.”[6] Koolhaas highlighted the potential of the Palace of the Republic and advocated against its demolition, though unsuccessfully.
Preservation, therefore, emerges as a tool for forging a symbiosis between the past and a present-day architecture that has lost its meaning. Whether by romanticizing decay, as seen in the Ruinengarten project by Tanja Lincke Architekten, or emphasizing decay, as in the Sammlung Boros by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects—both located in Berlin—the practice of
preservation has become, in the 21st century, a new medium for creating innovative and meaningful spaces.
Indeed, preservation opens the door to transcendent spaces of possibility, as exemplified by the conversion of the former power plant on Rüdersdorfer Straße near Ostbahnhof, now known as Berghain. Berghain represents an architecture of opportunity and potential, described as “Das Berghain, eine Ermöglichungsarchitektur” (RUB, Christine, NGO, Anh-Linh, 2011). This concept resonates with Cedric Price’s vision for the Fun Palace. The interplay of small and large-scale spaces within Berghain mirrors the design of the Fun Palace, enabling dynamic interactions and multifunctional uses. In this sense, Berghain’s thoughtful rehabilitation exemplifies the realization of Cedric Price’s ideologies.[7]
Over recent years, preservation has so deeply influenced society that it now dominates contemporary architectural practices, often serving as the primary framework for the development of new spaces. “All the things that were considered the very opposite of contemporary have suddenly irrupted forcefully into architecture and art, blurring their boundaries.”[8]
Where contemporary architecture struggles to create spaces of infinite possibility, preservation steps in as a starting point. By repurposing abandoned buildings or neglected sites, architecture finds new avenues of expression, arising from the interplay between pre-existing spatial qualities and organic processes of transformation.[9]
[1] KOOLHAAS R., OTERO-PAILOS J. (2014) Preservation Is Overtaking Us, GSAPP Transcripts, New York, pp. 21
[2] IBELINGS H. (2002) Supermodernism - Architecture in the Age of Globalisation, Broché, Michigan
[3] KOOLHAAS R., OTERO-PAILOS J. (2014) Op. Cit., pp. 8
[4] Op. Cit., pp. 87
[5] KOOLHAAS, R. (2005) Das Versäumnis der Moderne, in: ARCH+ 175 AMO, S. 83
[6] Ibid.
[7] RUB, Christine, NGO, Anh-Linh (2011) Das Berghain - eine Ermöglichungsarchitektur, in ARCH+ 201 / 202, Berlin, pp.146
[8]OTERO-PAILOS J. (2016) Experimental Preservation, Lars Mueller Publishers
[9] Infinite Places, French Pavillon, Biennale of architecture in Venice, mai-september 2018
For further information, see my final thesis in World Heritage Studies: Queer Cultures and Heritage Making. The Case of Berlin.
