Berlin 10.10.07

Of course, I can't take all the credit. My wonderful wife Asti is more half the reason we are still keeping a good pace here on our trip. I think I'd still be lost in Helsinki if it wasn't for her dilligence and level mind to keep me in check. So for Berlin, at the very least, she is going be blogging this entry. Only a token for all the work behind the scenes. Plus, I am falling behind.- Mark

Asti:
After a whirlwind of fast paced travelling through Berlin, Prague, Vienna & Zurich - we finally found time to download photos and update the blog (with proper wireless connection).



Started Berlin by visiting the Bauhaus Archiv Museum by Gropius. A portion of the exhibit area was closed for restoration, only the ground floor has exhibitions on Bauhaus greats - among them Gropius, Mies, Jacobsen, Kandinsky, Klee, Bauer. Luckily there was also a temporary exhibition on the competition entries for an addition to the Bauhaus Archiv. All very interesting proposals, the winning entry was from SANAA (Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa) with their cool glass 'box'.



Nearby, we visited the Scandinavian Embassy complex. One of the buildings is actually open for public and has exhibit areas. This time highlighting Norway's western coastline, see link for more info http://www.turistveg.no/. Norway is definitely next on our list!


Hansaplatz Interbau Housing Development - Tiergarten. Various projects by International Architects: Aalto, Taut, Jacobsen, Niemeyer, etc.



On our must see list: Reichstag Dome, Bundestag Archiv, National Gallery.


Libeskind's Jewish Museum, on the right is the new courtyard canopy.


A highlight of our Berlin visit is the Berlin Mauer 'Church of Reconciliation' - which was built along the 'wall', a serene yet powerful space. Wood slats and rammed earth made of the old church ruins.



We took the train from the Hauptbahnhof - the largest train station in Europe. Amazing, high speed rails, local trains, underground rails and buses all converge in this station - and they threw in retail and restaurants while they're at it... We hope San Francisco will get it's transbay terminal to rival this one...