Unbuilt Berlina metropolis of mass, memorials, and monuments
Berlin stands out as a city that uniquely sparked the architectural imagery and imagination. Cities like London were rebuilt upon their medieval foundations, and cities like New York and Paris have seen little change in redesign, whereas Berlin represents the experimental field of urban planning since the early twentieth century. Other cities have seen radical planning, but nowhere else was the idea of an alternate city so central and constant fueled by intense criticism of its 19th-century urban fabric and shaped by a series of political upheavals, culminating in a blank slate after World War II.
In contrast to ancient metropolises like London, Berlin remained relatively small until experiencing sudden and explosive growth. The city's tumultuous political history, from empire to division and reunification, necessitated architectural and urban expressions reflecting revolutionary change. Unbuilt Berlin and the projects presented here are essential to the landscape of the twentieth century architectural, landscape, and urban planning disciples, and depict the city as an inceptor for urban thinking.
The projects offer a captivating glimpse into the unexplored realm of 20th-century urbanism beyond the confines of Berlin. While cities traditionally evolved over millennia as foundational cultural achievements, a radical notion emerged in the last century: the possibility of reinventing the city itself. In 1922, architect Le Corbusier's proposal to replace Paris's center with a grid of high-rise towers not only sparked intense technical debates but also catalyzed a global wave of utopian city design. This provocative idea, however, must be understood within the context of burgeoning urban development disciplines and a growing recognition of cities' structural pathologies. The rapid expansion of urban areas prompted researchers to delve into fundamental growth mechanisms and explore alternative models. Concepts like the band city, pioneered in Spain and later Russia, proposed linear city expansion along railway lines, theoretically ad infinitum.
Central to this discourse was Ebenezer Howard's vision of the garden city, which sought to reconcile the urban-rural divide. Howard identified private property as a key impediment to ideal urban development, arguing that speculative pressures in traditional radial cities concentrated wealth excessively at their centers. His solution envisioned a city center adorned with gardens, encircled by public institutions and parks, ensuring equitable access to green spaces for all residents. Satellite cities, connected in a network around the central hub, facilitated further expansion while maintaining a harmonious urban fabric. Ludwig Hilberseimer's 1932 Bauhaus concept, the Decentralized City, envisioned a radical transformation of Berlin, though he later admitted its shortcomings. Beyond spatial organization, contemporary reflections raise questions about motives, clientele, and contextual origins.
Apart from official urban planning competitions and expert opinions, there were also commissioned visions—spontaneous ideals—that outlined desired distant goals. These visions were sought by various entities such as daily newspapers, museums, galleries, and private patrons, a phenomenon common in Berlin. It's striking how architects, critics, historians, and even political leaders often disregarded legal constraints, illustrating a tendency towards frivolity. Interestingly, holistic city plans were deemed utopian during times of political division. In 1958, the Western sector's official competition to redesign the Eastern historic center, dismissing most buildings as unworthy of preservation, preceded the construction of the Berlin Wall, later touted as an "anti-imperialist protective wall." Participants in the Capital Berlin competition mostly embraced a clean slate approach.
Despite the potential incongruity of applying American urban models to Europe, the concept of urban landscape played a significant role in Berlin's post-war planning. The decision to rebuild the city along the Urstromtal, a natural formation, rather than adhering strictly to historical street plans, was both practical and political. This approach symbolized a desire for a fresh start and influenced how Germany views monumental structures, often scrutinizing them for fascist associations. The construction of modern ideal cities in Brazil and India by architects like Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, and Le Corbusier bolstered confidence in megastructures. Kenzo Tange's ambitious plan for Tokyo, expanding the city into the sea via extensive infrastructure, epitomized this trend. Emphasizing maximum mobility, urban and traffic planning converged in these visions. Richard Buckminster Fuller's proposals for floating and flying cities pushed the boundaries of imagination even further.
Despite not always fitting local contexts, these projects significantly influenced urban landscapes. Understanding the built city of Berlin requires acknowledging these utopian fragments, which shape our perception and inspire future visions.
Projects:
Joseph Maria Olbrich: Pariser Platz 1907 Bruno Schmitz: Groß-Berlin 1910 Peter Cook: Way Out West 1988 Hermann Jansen: Tempelhofer Feld 1910 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Hochhaus Friedrichstraße 1921 Marcel Breuer: Potsdamer Platz 1929 Peter Zumthor: Topographie des Terrors 1997
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